IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


1.1 


11.25 


tiitTA     |2.5 
■tt  lU    |Z2 

1^    i2.0 


us 

KS 


I 


IE 

^U4 


f 


.%  '^ 


^\*v 


Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


^ 


^. 


rO- 


<^ 


;\ 


23  WIST  MAIN  STMIT 

WIBSTIi,N.Y.  145M 

(7U)t73-4S03 


'^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/iCMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  IVIicroreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


— «»Ei:3*.,,ii««"ii*« 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notas/Notas  tachniquat  at  bibliographiquas 


Tha  Inatituta  has  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographicaliy  uniqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
laproduction,  or  which  may  aigniHcantiy  changa 
tha  uauai  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chackad  balow. 


D 


D 


D 


D 


0 


Colourad  covara/ 
Couvartura  da  couiaur 


I     I   Covars  damagad/ 


Couvartura  andommagte 


Covara  rastorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  raataurte  at/ou  palliculAa 


I      I    Covar  titia  miaaing/ 


La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


I      I   Colourad  maps/ 


Cartas  g^ographiquas  an  couiaur 


□    Colourad  ink  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  couiaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 

I     I   Colourad  platas  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planchas  at/ou  illustrations  an  couiaur 

Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
Raiii  avac  d'autras  documants 


|~T1    Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  diatortion 


along  intarior  margin/ 

La  re  liura  sarrde  paut  causar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 

distortion  la  long  da  la  marga  intiriaura 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rastoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  poaaibia,  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  sa  paut  qua  cartainas  pagaa  bianchaa  ajouttes 
lors  d'una  rastauration  apparaiasant  dans  la  taxta. 
mais,  lursqua  cala  6tait  possibla.  cas  pagas  n'ont 
pas  4t6  filmtes. 


Additional  commants:/ 
Commantairas  suppl^mentairas: 


Varioui  fiagingi. 


L'Institut  a  microf  limA  la  maillaur  axamplaira 
qu'il  lui  a  At*  poaaibia  da  aa  procurar.  Las  dAtaila 
da  cat  axamplaira  qui  aont  paut-Atra  uniquaa  du 
point  da  vua  bibliographiqua,  qui  pauvant  modif  iar 
una  image  raproduita,  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dana  la  mAthoda  normala  da  f ilmaga 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dassous. 


r~~1   Colourad  pagas/ 


n 


This  itam  is  filmed  at  tha  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  fiiniA  au  taux  da  rMuction  indiquA  ci-daasous. 


Pagaa  da  couiaur 

Pagas  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtes 


piquias 


□   Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pagas  rastaurAas  at/ou  pelliculAes 

0   Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pagas  d^colortes,  tachaties  ou  piqut 

0   Pages  detached/ 
Pagas  dAtachtes 

r^    Showthrough/ 


Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  in^gaie  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  matarii 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppKmentaira 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


I     I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I     I   inciudea  supplementary  material/ 

I     I   Only  edition  available/ 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Lea  pagaa  totalament  ou  partieilement 
obscurcies  par  un  fauillet  d'errata,  una  palure, 
etc.,  ont  6t4  filmtes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  mailleure  image  possible. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

7 

12X 

16X 

20X 

2«X 

28X 

32X 

— "«»E3ss|<.^^»!Ma«F^> 


The  copy  filmMl  h«r«  hat  bMn  rtproducMl  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroalty  of: 

Library  of  tha  Public 
Archivas  of  Canada 

Tha  imagas  appearing  hara  ara  tha  baat  quaiity 
posaibia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  iagibiiity 
of  tha  originai  copy  and  in  icaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  apacificationa. 


Originai  copies  in  printed  paper  covera  ara  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  becic  cover  when  eppropriata.  All 
other  originai  copiaa  ara  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  e  printed  or  iiluatrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  lest  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  -^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  appliea. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  lerge  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaire  filmA  f ut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
g*nAroaitA  da: 

lot  bibliothAqua  des  Archives 
publiques  du  Canada 

l-as  images  suivantas  ont  «t«  reproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattatA  da  raxemplaira  f iim4,  et  an 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 

Les  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprim^i  sont  filmte  en  commen^ant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  las  autras  exemplairas 
originaux  sor.t  filmte  en  commen9ant  par  la 
pramlAre  pege  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impreaaion  ou  d'illustration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
darnlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
casi  la  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  la 
symboia  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmte  A  das  taux  da  rAduction  diff Arants. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  ii  est  filmA  A  partir 
da  Tangle  supAriour  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droita, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  an  pranant  la  nombra 
d'images  nAcessaira.  Las  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  ia  mAthode. 


1  2  3 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

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CANADA, 


AS  IT  IS. 


COMPRISING  DETAILS  RELATING 


TO    TBB 


DOMESTIC  POLICY,  COMMERCE   AND  AGRICULTURE, 


OF  THE 


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UPPER  AND  LOWER  PROyiNqH^Sj, 


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C9«fPK«PfNSlhAt^llR  OF  OBNSRAI.  niF9RBMn;y0tf  •  AND 
INTBRE&  4^,  .B8P]^i ALf;T*n^);N^^D  POll,  ^iB  «8B 

^        GEORGE   HENRY  HUME. 


NEW-rORK: 

WILLIAM  STODART,  6  COURTLAND-STREET. 

1832. 


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PREFACE. 


•,</■  ♦ 


\  '■  ■  ■  S*' 


",:-  I  -'O  , 


VM 


Cakadai  whether  considered  in  her  political,  commercial 
or  agricultural  relations,  has  attained  an  elevation  that  com- 
mands both  respect  and  attention :  her  growing  ener^es 
are  fast  ripening  to  a  maturity,  that  aided  by  the  fostering 
care  of  the  Mother  Country,  will  establish  her  importance 
in  the  Western  Hemisphere,  and  enable  her  to  command 
the  attention  of  the  world. 

The  Geographical  situation  of  Canada  rendert  her  at  all 
times  accessible  to  the  ships  of  England  whikit  her  resources 
for  inland  navigation  are  unrivalled.  The  noble  St  Law- 
rence, pursues  a  navigable  course  firom  the  Gulf  to  Mont- 
real, a  distance  of  nearly  ^ve  hundred  miles :  Lake  Ontario 
presents  a  sur&ce  equal  to  that  of  Ireland :  Erie  is  of  a 
similar  extent,  whilst  Huron  occupies  a  space  as  large  as 
that  allotted  to  the  British  Isles.  These  magnificent  in- 
land seas  form  the  natural  barrier  to  the  upper  promce, 
lending  their  waters  to  her  inhabitants  as  the  means  of  com^ 
munic&tion  and  commercial  enterprize. 

CtUEBEC,  the  remarkable  fortress  and  boast  of  the 
British  Crown,  in  America,  rendered  |  impregnable  by 
Nature  and  Art,  challenges  the  regard  of  the  voyager  up  the 
St.  Lawrance,  nor  does  his  nearer  approach  lessen  the  at- 
traction ;  from  whatever  point  the  Fortifications  are  view- 
ed, from  the  plains  of  Abraham,  from  Beauport,  from  St. 

Rock,  or  from  Point  Levi,  the  highest  admiration  must  be 

A3 


IT 


PREFACE. 


I' 


w 


excited)  by  their  beauty  and  grandeur.  In  the  summer  the 
prospect  from  the  Citadel  is  beautiful  in  the  extreme  ;  let 
us  suppose  a  height  of  from  four  to  five  hundred  feet  com- 
manding a  view  of  the  Noble  Stream  that  waters  its  base, 
for  an  immense  distance  ;  its  bosom  covered  with  vessels, 
some  stretching  their  course  to  the  ocean,  others  entering 
the  port,  the  wharves  crowded  by  individuals  engaged  in 
loading  or  unloading  their  respective  cargoes ;  whilst  the 
hum  of  industry  arising  above  them,  and  the  cheerful  and 
well  known  chorus  as  each  stick  of  timber  finds  its  level, 
adds  new  life  to  the  scene  :  here  may  we  behold  hundreds 
of  Emigrants  already  busied  in  their  newly  adopted  Country, 
in  securing  their  little  properties ;  how  readily  may  they  be 
reconized,  by  the  astonished  gaze  at  the  surrounding  ob- 
jects, and  by  the  anxious  inquiry  how  to  proceed  towards 
the  place  of  their  destination ;  they  contribute  to  the  illu- 
sion of  the  picture,  and  render  Ctuebec  at  this  season  of  the 
year  a  city  of  the  utmost  interest  and  variety. 

The  timber  trade  of  Ctuebec  either  as  connected  with 
the  interior  of  the  country  by  the  employment  of  labourers, 
or  as  supplying  cargoes  for  a  thousand  or  twelve 
hundred  vessels,  is  entiUed  to  the  most  serious  considera- 
tion of  the  Government  at  home  :  that  one  port  should  be 
able  to  freight  upwards  of  a  thousand  ships,  in  bona  fide 
British  bottoms,  by  the  means  of  British  capital,  and 
whatisof  infinitely  higher  importance,  through  the  aid  of 
British  subjects,  is  no  less  cheering  than  astonishing.  In 
addition  to  the  commercial  advantages  thus  realized,  how 
important  is  the  encouragement  of  such  a  trade  with  refer- 
ence t6  the  hardy  race  it  supports — the  timber  trade  of  Ctue- 
bec, may  be  considered  as  a  nursery  for  seamen,  that  val- 
uable class  to  whom  the  whole  Empire  of  Britain  is  so  much 
indebted  both  in  prosecution  of  the  duties  of  war,  and  the 


PREFACE. 


arts  of  peace;  it  also  assists  in  the  support  of  another  class 
of  men,  whose  services  are  scarcely  less  essential,  the 
Raftsmen  or  Shanteemen — but  the  advantages  of  the  trade 
are  prodigious  in  other  points  of  view ;  hundreds  and  thous- 
ands of  poor  Emigrants  who  are  of  little  value  at  home,  are 
transported  by  means  of  these  ships  to  a  situation,  where 
their  exertions  largely  contribute  to  the  national  prosperilto;*  * 
an  incredible  number  of  families  with  scarcely  a  six  pence 
in  the  world  are  nevertheless  enabled  to  reach  the  western 
Continent  by  means  of  the  timber  ships,  and  are  at  once 
rescued  from  miseiy  and  poverty  by  the  adaptation  of  their 
labour  to  the  wants  of  the  country.  Ireland  is  relieved  of 
some  portion  of  her  excessive  population,  who  are  too  often 
goaded  on  by  want  to  the  commission  of  the  most  atrocious 
crimes,  and  Canada  receives  a  useful  and  industrious  race, 
who  can  be  rendered  faithful  citizens  by  the  simple  remedy 
of  employment ;  thus  these  ships,  and  the  country  at  large, 
may  be  regarded  almost  as  in  the  light  of  a  safety  valve  to 
unhappy  Ireland,  in  relieving  her  at  least  from  a  portion 
of  the  pressure,  which  every  instant  threatens  an  explosion. 

Should  not  these  combined  considerations,  then,  arrest  the 
attention  of  the  British  Legislation,  ere  they  pass  an  act 
{the  non-protection  act,)  that  would  bli^!  i  ihe  prospects  of 
thousands,  throw  a  damp  over  the  whole  of  these  provinces, 
and  nip  in  the  very  bud  of  their  prosperity,  the  most  inter- 
esting and  rising  Colonies  attached  to  the  Empire. 

If  it  be  the  intention  of  England  to  retain  the  Canadas  aa 
colonies,  a  lukewarm  policy  will  scarcely  eiiect  her  purpose ; 
a  neighboring  power  has  already  cast  a  jealous  eye  on  this 
northern  territory,  and  would  gladly  seize  a  favorable  oppor- 
tunity for  attacUng  it  to  her  sway ;  for  with  this  possession 
America  might  bid  defiance  to  Europe.    Such  an  union 

can,  however,  never  take  place,  so  long  as  a  liberal  policy 

A3 


^■^ 


VI 


PREFACE. 


is  adopted  towards  tho  Canadians ;  identified  from  motives 
of  interest  and  from  long  association  with  the  principles  that 
govern  the  mother  country,  they  are  cheerfully  devoted  to 
her  sovereignty,  notwithstanding  the  anti-British  feelings 
that  have  emanated  from  a  certain  class  of  the  community 
of  England,  as  much  opposed  to  the  national  welfare  gene- 
rally, as  to  the  prosperity  of  the  Canadas  in  particular. — 
The  last  war  produced  numerous  examples  of  Colonial  at- 
tachment to  the  ancient  home ;  the  battles  of  England 
were  fought  by  Canadians,  who  displayed  the  utmost  hero- 
ism, more  especially  in  an  action  fought  near  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  under  the  late  gallant  Colonel  de  la  Saleberry,  which 
we  select  as  the  best  illustration  of  their  bravery  and  pat- 
riotism :  not  that  this  was  a  single  example,  for  the  whole 
campaign  teemed  with  proofs  that  the  Canadians  of  the 
Upper  Province  were  essentially  British  in  character  and 
feeling.  l 

A  period  has  arrived  when  the  necessity  of  protection  to 
these  colonies  can  no  longer  be  denied ;  Uieir  claims  are  of 
paramount  importance  not  only  to  themselves,  but  to  Eng- 
land. If  we  regard  the  internal  policy  of  other  countries, 
what  do  we  behold  ?  On  this  continent,  our  indefatigable 
neighbours  are  striving  in  the  race  with  their  former  parent ; 
in  manufactures  of  almost  every  fabric  they  are  contend- 
ing, if  not  for  the  mastership,  at  least  for  an  equality.  Bir- 
minghams  and  Manchesters  have  started  into  existence, 
and  the  success  of  their  youthful  efforts  guarantees  the 
future  results ;  already  they  compete  not  only  in  number, 
in  proportion  to  the  population  of  the  country,  but  in  qual- 
ity with  the  manufactures  that  boast  a  century's  endurance. 
In  the  town  of  Paterson,  in  the  state  of  New- Jersey,  thurty- 
six  cotton  manufactories  are  in  active  operation,  and  the 


FItEFACE. 


VII 


prosperity  of  this  town  is  rivalled  by  that  of  several  others 
in  tho  difibrcnt  sectionB  of  the  Union. 

In  Russia  also  a  successful  experiment  has  been  made  to 
supply  her  population  from  domestic  manufactures;  tho 
artisans  of  Franco  and  Germany  excel  in  some  fabrics,  and 
are  rapidly  improving  in  others,  and  already  are  tho  Euro- 
pean markets  preparing  to  exclude  the  produce  of  English 
labour; — these  considerations  are  surely  sufficient  to  awak- 
en attention  to  the  rising  condition  of  Canada,  where  an 
increased  demand  for  homo  manufactures  will  be  created  in 
proportion  to  the  increased  settlement  of  the  country ;  when 
other  markets  fail,  the  supply  to  these  colonies  will  atone 
for  the  deficiency,  and  thus  every  advantage  that  can  be 
now  afibrded  them  by  England,  will  ultimately  be  repaid  in 
a  tenfold  degree. 

The  public  works  in  Canada  arc  on  the  point  of  accom- 
pUshing  their  promised  benefits ; — the  Rideau  canal,  in  par- 
ticular, which,  under  the  superintendance  of  tho  able  and 
indefatigable  Lieut.  Colonel  J.  By,  is  on  tlie  eve  of  comple- 
tion, as  the  locks, which  areadmirable  specimens  of  masonry, 
are  all  finished,  and  steam-boats  and  other  craft  have  al- 
ready commenced  their  passages  between  Kingston  and 
Bytown.  This  magnificent  undertaking,  which  may  be 
designated  as  the  great  channel  of  Canadian  prosperity,  as 
one  of  the  principal  links  in  that  vast  chain  of  inland  navi- 
gation extending  from  New-Orleans  to  Ctuebec,  planned 
with  so  much  ingenuity  and  executed  with  so  much  skill,  is 
of  no  less  importance  in  a  commercial  and  political  light, 
than  as  a  means  of  opening  and  improving  the  country  in 
its  track.  The  design  that  reflects  immortal  credit  upon 
its  proposers,  when  completely  realized,  will  indeed  serve  to 
contradict  the    assertion   of  an  Honourable  Member    of 

tlic  Common.^  House  of  Parliament  during  the  last  session, 

A4 


li 


Vllt 


PREPACK. 


'*  that  it  would  be  belter  to  forego  the  Rideau  canal  alto- 
gether, and  sacriHce  the  monies  already  expended  on  that 
work  than  to  vote  any  further  sunia  for  the  completion  of 
the  undertaking."  The  absurdity  of  this  remark  renden 
its  contradiction  needless,  especially  as  it  could  only  be 
made  by  one  who  was  totally  ignorant  of  the  local  bearing! 
of  the  country. 

Bytown,  &o  named  after  its  distinguished  founder,  ia 
situate  at  the  mouth  of  the  canal,  and  affords  tolerable 
evidence  of  the  usefulness  of  this  truly  national  work ;  but 
five  years  ago,  its  site  was  an  absolute  wilderness — now  a 
bustling  and  lively  town  occupies  the  soil  so  lately  covered 
by  the  forest.  Three  thousand  inhabitants,  comprising 
£nglish,  Scotch,  Irish,  Canadians  and  Americans,  have 
here  found  a  home,  an  Episcopalian,  a  Roman  Cathohc,  and 
a  Methodist  church,  and  a  Scotch  kirk,  have  been  erected 
for  their  worship ;  there  are  numerous  and  excellent  storea 
provided  with  all  the  varied  produce  and  manufactures  of 
the  world,  for  the  supply  of  their  necessities,  whilst  the  gen- 
eral appearance  of  the  town,  ornamented  with  several 
handsome  stone  houses,  proclaims  its  rapid  and  almost  daily 
improvement.  In  proceeding  up  the  line  of  the  canal,  the 
change  effected  on  the  nigged  face  of  nature  is  no  less  pleai- 
ing  than  surprising ;  the  vast  interior  is  opened  to  the  in- 
dustry of  man  ;  the  landscape,  dotted  here  and  there  with 
snug  farms  and  comfortable  dwellings,  is  relieved  from  its 
former  monotony,  and  the  addition  of  a  good  tavern  i>  the 
scene,  adds  to  the  traveller's  and  the  neighbour's  enjoyment. 
For  forty  miles  above  Bytown  this  appearance  is  presented ; 
the  canal  has  indeed  fertilized  the  country  !  In  its  passage 
through  the  centre  of  the  Rideau  settlement  the  same  won- 
drous improvement  is  visible  ;  houses,  mills,  stores,  and 
buildings  of  every  description,  and  bridges  over  the  canal 


that! 

has 
coui 
Al 
medl 
Mei 
nessl 


PUEFACK. 


I 


that  has  accompiifihrd  nil  thcHc  licnffitH,  loHtily  liow  iniu  ii 
has  already  been  clone  in  thn  prrttitnljlo  Hcttlemont  of  the 
country. 

i  About  five  miles  above  the  settlement  of  Rideau,  and  im- 
mediately on  the  line  of  the  canal,  is  nitu&tcd  the  village  of 
Merricksvillo,  which  has  sprung  up  with  astonishing  quick- 
ness into  a  place  of  conHidembic  consequence ;  two  years 
ago  the  spot  now  covered  with  well-built  dwellings,  was  a 
solitary  wildemesn  ;  a  little  market  ii>wn  is  established  in 
the  forest  land,  and  stores,  mills,  and  taverns  are  seen  on 
every  side.  Mechanics  of  all  grades  have  tlockcd  in  the 
infant  settlement,  which  is  thus  provided  with  every  neces- 
sary establishment. 

The  salutary  effects  accruing  from  the  opening  of  the 
Rideau  canal,  are  not  however  confined  to  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  its  course  ;  the  communicating  advantages  are 
.and  will  be  experienced  through  the  surrounding  country. 
Perth,  for  instance,  a  neighboring  town  and  settlement  of 
some  standing  and  consequence,  will  reap  immense  benefit ; 
it  is  intended  to  render  the  river  Tay,  running  a  distance  of 
eight  miles  from  that  place  to  tho  Rideau,  a  navigable 
stream  by  the  subscription  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town 
and  its  neighbourhood,  under  the  immediate  auspices  of 
Mr.  William  Morris,  of  Perth,  the  highly  respected  mem- 
ber for  the  county  of  Lanark.  Passing  onwards  from  Mer- 
ricksville  on  the  line  of  the  Rideau  to  Kingston,  the  same 
decided  improvement  is  apparent  as  elsewhere, — in  fact, 
throughout  the  whole  length  of  country  traversed  by  the 
canal,  the  results  of  inteUigence  and  industry  have  succeed- 
ed to  the  wildness  and  desolation  of  the  waste. 

Should  then  the  completion  of  this  veork,  that  in  its  pro- 
gress has  been  so  productive  of  usefulness  to  the  infant  set* 

tlements  on  its  margin,  be  abandoned,  the  prospects  of 
A5 


i*4 


J 


PREFACE. 


thousands  of  emigrants  will  be  blasted,  the  hopes  they  have 
been  led  to  form  from  previous  prosperity,  defeated,  and  the 
efforts  that  have  already  accomplished  so  much  in  the  im- 
provements of  their  condition,  paralized.     ' 

The  encouragement  of  public  works  in  Canada  provides 
the  emigrant  with  immediate  emplojrment,  if  circumstances 
prevent  his  early  establishment,  and  indeed  the  knowledge 
of  such  undertakings  induces  numerous  bands  of  labourers 
to  seek  the  country  with  no  other  object  in  view  than  to  en- 
gage in  them.  The  importance  of  this  class  of  emigrants 
to  society  will  be  admitted  by  all  who  recollect  the  scarcity 
and  deamess  of  labour  during  the  last  summer,  when  in 
many  of  the  townshipr  above  York, — Markham,  Vaughan, 
King,  Whitchurch,  Georgina,  and  others,  a  dollar  a  day, 
and  in  some  instances,  six  shillings  currency,  were  paid  in 
addition  to  the  board  of  the  laborer. 

The  privilege  granted  to  Canada  by  the  Government,  of 
the  admission  of  her  grain  into  British  ports,  under  a  very 
low  duty,  has  wrought  a  surprising  change  in  the  habits  of  the 
farmers  ;  the  land  was  formerly  tilled  merely  for  the  sup- 
port of  his  family,  for  he  had  no  market  to  relieve  him  from 
a  surplus  produce ;  Sumac,  the  Raspberry,  and  other  woods 
were  permitted  to  grow  in  the  place  of  com,  and  the  time 
of  the  fanner  was  occupied  in  shooting  or  fishing,  from  the 
imposibility  of  employing  it  to  a  useful  purpose  in  agricul- 
tural pursuit.  At  the  present  time  he  obtains  a  fair  and 
remunerating  price  for  all  the  grain  he  can  raise,  and  the 
farm  is  therefore  in  good  order  and  continually  improving 
in  value  ;  he  is  enabled  to  pay  excellent  wages  to  a  numer- 
ous band  of  laborers,  to  clothe  his  family  in  British  fab- 
rics, and  thus  in  the  advancement  of  his  own  prosperity  to 
reciprocate  the  advantages  afforded  to  him  by  the  mother 
country. 


( i.. 


PREFACE. 


Xi 


During  the  last  season  there  arrived  at  Clucbec,  about 
49,000  emigrants,  the  majority  of  whom  were  laborer*, 
who  distributed  themselves  in  the  districts  of  the  upper 
province  ;  still  the  effect  of  this  increase  is  imperceptible. 
In  the  northern  settlements  bordering  on  the  Ottawa,  in 
the  Midland  districts  above  and  below  Kingston,  in  the 
interior  settled  parts  towards  York,  on  Yonge  Street,  New- 
market, Lake  Simcoe,  Dundas  Street,  Dundas,  Hamilton, 
Niagara,  the  London  district,  and  all  the  large  settlements 
on  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie,  the  addition  of  numbers  has 
scarcely  been  felt,  and  in  fact  had  three  times  the  quantum 
of  emigration  occurred  in  this  province,  the  supply  would 
scarcely  have  been  recognized  on  the  face  of  the  country. 

It  has  been  calculated  that  the  number  of  emigrants  .to 
Gluebec  this  season,  will  amount  to  80,000,  and'  certainly 
the  last  reports  from  England  justify  the  assumption.  The 
prejudice  in  favor  of  the  United  States  is  declining  very 
fast  in  England,  and  every  year  will  witness  a  larger  tm* 
val  into  these  provinces ;  the  tide  of  British  emigration 
sets  towards  Canada,  bearing  the  hardy  sons  ofEnglancI 
Scotland  and  Ireland  from  countries  too  densely  peopled 
to  allow  the  display  of  their  strength,  to  a  soil  sufficiently 
extensive  for  its  perfect  development,  and  abundantly  fer- 
tile to  reward  their  exertions. 

Of  late  years,  a  number  of  the  middle  classes  of  British 
society  have  settled  in  these  provinces,  in  addition  to  the 
dass  of  poor  settlers.  Voltaire  in  speaking  of  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  British  community,  observes,  that  they 
may  be  justly  compared  to  their  favourite  beverage 
"  beer";  the  top  or  the  higher  orders,  is  all  froth,  the  hot* 
tom,or  the  poorer  class  all  dregs,  but  the  middle,  excellent : 
this  is  an  overcharged  picture,  but  not  altogether  without 
its  likeness,  and  from  this  excellent  middle  portion  of  soci* 


r 


xn 


PREFACE. 


ety,  comprising  so  much  virtuous  principle,  moral  orcter^ 
and  superior  intelligence,  the  Canadas  have  obtained,  and 
will  yet  acquire  in  a  larger  proportion  than  heretofore, 
many  families  and  individuals  who  contribute  so  much  to 
the  well-being  and  advancement  of  the  country  of  their 
adoption. 

Montreal,  the  leading  town  of  Canada,  is  foremost  in  the 
march  of  improvement ;  her  new  streets  laid  out  with  the 
utmost  neatness  and  regularity,  the  excellent  houses  that 
adorn  the  suburbs,  the  convenient  wharves,  and  to  crown 
the  whole,  that  splendid  edifice,  the  new  Catholic  church  in 
the  centre  of  the  city,  which  may  be  regarded  with  equal 
pride  and  admiration,  as  th^  noblest  temple  of  North  Amer- 
ica, are  all  evidences  that  the  spirit  of  the  times  has  travel- 
led in  this  direction.  But,  this  spirit  is  not  only  recognized 
in  the  town  ;  if  we  visit  the  neighbourhood,  we  witness  an 
agricultural  system  in  full  operation,  that  must  commend 
it  to  the  notice  of  the  British  farmer ;  the  farms  are  in  a 
state  of  the  highest  cultivation,  the  regular  plan  of  succes- 
sive tillage  adopted  in  England,  is  here  acted  upon,  and  the 
results  as  may  rationally  be  supposed  are  no  less  encour- 
aging. The  establishment  of  agricultural  societies  in 
the  vicinity  of  Montreal,  has  been  productive  of  the  ut- 
most service  to  the  agricultural  interest ;  the  popular  errors 
which  were  persevered  in,  simply  because  they  had  been 
transmitted  from  a  past  to  a  present  generation,  the  pre- 
judices retained  by  ignorance,  or  the  caprices  dictated  by 
folly,  have  yielded  to  the  spirit  of  modern  dis«ovcries ;  the 
farmers  of  the  upper  provinces  and  particularly  those  in  the 
vicinity  of  Montreal,  have  adopted  the  provisions  of  an 
English  system  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  they  need 
only  ask  comparison  with  the  jiffricnltnrllpts  of  Lower 
€anada,  (o  prove  their  infinite  superiority.    Tt  is  a  Fubjecl, 


^v 


I  •      ^ 


PREFACE. 


Xlll 


of  reg^.'     at  the  Canadians  of  the  lower  province  are  still 
charact£,:^^zed  by  their  former  apathy  and  indiilerenee  to 
improvements,  notwithstanding  the  prosperous  condition 
of  their  neighbours ;  but  the  time  will  surely  arrive  when  a 
common  interest  will  inspire  common  exertions  in  every 
part  of  this  territory,  capable  of  producing  equal  benefits 
throughout  its  whole  extent.    In  the  different  cities  and 
towns,  individuals  are  to  be  found  in  the  exercise  of  their 
respective  vocations,  who  would  confer  credit  upon  any 
European  society :  the  professions  are  filled  by  men  of 
character  and  learning ;  the  cpmmercial  interests  are  pro- 
moted by  Merchants  of  intelligence  and  respectability  ; 
the  trading  classes  and  the  Mechanics  lend  their  means 
and  their  industry  to  the  general  weal,  so  that  the  increase 
ing  population  of  this  comparatively  new  country  are  in 
possession  of  nearly  all  the  advantages  enjoyed  by  the  oldest 
community.    A  general  confidence  is  experienced  in  the 
respective  exertions  of  each  other ;  an  indulgence  is  ex- 
tended to  the  efibrts  of  the  humblest  individual ;  a  recipro- 
cal   interchange    of  commodities  takes   place  from  the 
manufactured  article,  to  the  animal  or  vegetable  product ; 
the  efiects  of  a  well  regulated  society  are  recognized  in  the 
arrrangements  which  provide  for  the  education  of  the  young, 
the  restraint  of  disorderly  habits,  so  common  in  a  new  set- 
tlement, and  an  obedience  to  the  laws  and-the  encourage- 
ment of  industry  : — such  are  the  pleasing  resulcs  attend- 
ant upon  the  prosperity  of  tlieCanadas. 

There  are  few  circumstances  that  have  contributed  so 
much  to  the  condition  we  have  described,  as  steam  naviga^ 
tion  ;  the  facilities  afforded  by  the  lakes  and  rivers  for  per- 
sonal conveyance,  and  the  transport  of  merchandize  and  the 
products  of  the  soil  have  been  eagerly  accepted ;  the  freight 
of  goods  by  steam  vessels  to  York,  during  the  last  season 


\ 


i 


m 


XIV 


PREFACE. 


amounted  to  between  nine  and  ten  thousand  pounds,  multi- 
tudes of  emigrants  have  been    conveyed  to  their  place  of 
destination,  and  the  staples  of  the  numerous  Merchants  and 
farmers  in  the  interior  have  thus  been  readily  transmitted 
to  a  market. 

The  Banks  likewise,  especially  those  of  Montreal  and 
York,  have  in  the  mode  in  which  they  are  conducted,  prov- 
ed of  incalculable  usefulness.  The  discounts  are  not  only 
liberal  as  commensurate  with  the  security,  but  the  returns  of 
payment  are  so  arranged  as  materially  to  increase  the  value 
of  the  accommodation  :  for  instance  ;  a  note  of  one  hun- 
dred pounds  is  discounted  at  ninety  days  date ;  at  the  ex- 
piration of  that  time  one  fourth  of  the  amount  is  only  requir- 
ed in  payment,  renewing  the  note  for  the  balance  for  an  ad- 
ditional ninety  days ;  another  twenty  five  pounds  is  then 
paid,  with  a  similar  renewal ;  a  third  takes  place  for  the 
remainder  of  the  time,  and  the  last  payment  is  discharged  at 
the  end  of  another  ninety  days  when  the  ori^nal  advance  is 
liquidated.  All  these  renewals  are  of  course  granted  at  the 
common  rate  of  interest,  and  without  the  expense  of  stamps, 
and  by  this  means  the  time  of  a  twelvemonth  is  allowed 
for  the  complete  payment  of  the  loan.  There  is  one  fact 
connected  with  the  York  Bank  that  strikingly  illustrates  the 
presenthealthy  state  of  commerce  in  the  upper  province; 
when  it  was  firat  established,  a  charter  was  ofiered,  limiting 
the  subscribed  capital  to  two  hundred  thousand  pounds ; 
this  extensive  limit  was  at  the  time  properly  declined  by  the 
Directors,  on  account  of  the  infant  state  of  the  Colony, 
which  rendered  the  profitable  employment  of  so  large  a  sum 
very  precarious,  and  would  thereforehave  returned  but  a  small 
interest  to  the  proprietors,  at  the  same  time  depreciating 
the  value  of  the  stock  in  public  estimation  ;  a  charter  was 
therefore  accepted  for  a  bank  with  one  hundred  thousand 


PREFACE. 


X? 


pounds  capital.  This  occurred  but  a  few  years  ago ;  during  the 
last  session  of  the  House  of  Assembly  an  application  wati 
made  and  complied  with  for  the  extension  of  the  capital  to 
the  original  proposed  amount,  as  the  Directors  found  that 
the  increasing  demands  of  the  commercial  and  other  inter- 
ests required  an  enlargment  of  their  accustomed  issues. 

In  the  following  description  of  the  Canadas,  it  is  the  in- 
tention of  the  author  to  convey  such  information  to  the  em- 
igrant as  will  assist  him  in  his  progress ;  the  details  are 
founded  on  practical  experience,  and  may  fourly  be  contrast- 
ed with  many  of  the  garbled  and  interested  statements  that 
have  proved  injurious  to  the  settler.  The  individual  who 
seeks  the  Canadas  for  a  home,  has  much  to  learn  ;  a  pre- 
vious knowledge  of  the  current  aiiturs  of  life  will  serve  him 
but  little  in  a  new  country,  where  the  habits,  the  practical 
operations  of  handicraft,  the  applicability  of  science,  the 
mode  of  trade,  and  the  pursuits  of  agriculture  are  foreign  to 
his  former  experience ;  he  is  introduced  upon  a  scene  where 
he  is  opposed  by  strange  and  unforeseen  exigencies  which 
must  be  surmounted  ere  he  can  pursue  his  course;  his  steps 
are  impeded  by  difficulties  which  must  be  removed  before 
he  can  track  the  route  leading  to  his  future  independence. 
An  emigrant  blessed  with  strength  and  hardihood,  and  be- 
ing moreover  in  the  prime  of  life,  will  not  consult  his  per- 
manent interest  by  embarking  his  fortunes  in  an  old  settle- 
ment; a  country  untouched  by  the  hand  of  man  is  before 
him,  clothed  in  a  native  verdure,  and  portioned  with  a  native 
fertility — let  him  strip  the  forest  of  her  ^gantic  mantle,  con- 
vert the  wilderness  into  the  fruitful  plain,  and  force  the 
treasures  from  the  bosom  of  nature.  The  virgin  soil  will 
repay  the  exertions  of  man  by  an  abundant  increase,  and 
the  proud  reflection  will  be  enjoyed  of  having  carved  out 
from  a  mass  of  incongruous  materials,  the  means  of  future 


^ 


XVI 


PREFACE. 


support  and  comfort.  There  will  be  inconveniences  und 
privations,  but  let  them  be  endured ;  they  cannot  resist 
continued  exertions,  and  man  will  in  the  end  become  the 
conqueror.  The  settler  must  rise  with  the  lark  in  his  daily 
career;  he  must  be  early  in  the  field,  for  afternoon 
farming  will  not  serve  his  purpose,  and  this  is  true  not  only 
in  the  commencement  of  his  undertaking,  or  as  applied  to 
his  daily  labor,  but  in  reference  to  the  culture  of  his  land  ; 
for  it  is  an  admitted  fact,  that  in  this  country  late  crops  sel- , 
dom  reward  the  Hgriculturist,  while  early  field  labor  is  al- 
most invariably  crowned  with  success.  t 

The  emigrant  who  possesses  sufficient  means  for  his  sup- 
port for  sometime  after  his  arrival  in  the  country  should 
pause  ere  he  determines  the  place  of  his  settlement ;  the 
few  extra  pounds  expended  in  the  survey  of  the  different 
locations  will  purchase  the  most  valuable  information,  and 
render  him  equal  to  the  task  of  choosing  for  himself  instead 
of  acting  upon  the  interested  counsel  of  others.  In  travers- 
ing the  country,  let  him  visit  the  various  settlements  al- 
ready established,  regard  the  conveniences  or  the  ob- 
jections to  their  situation,  and  penetrate  into  the  bwh^  to 
ascertain  the  capabilities  of  improvement  there  presented  : 
he  can  learn  little  on  the  deck  of  a  steam-boat,  or  by  a 
continuance  in  the  towns,  beyond  the  common-place  in- 
structions that  are  of  trifling  benefit.  No  !  he  must  dive 
beneath  the  surface  into  the  recesses  of  the  country,  to  wit- 
ness the  enterprising  and  persevering  exertions  of  others, 
to  discover  the  gradual  development  of  power  in  overcom- 
ing the  mighty  obstacles  that  oppose  the  emigrant,  and  to 
gain  a  knowledge  of  the  means  that  have  elevated  Canada 
to  her  present  prosperous  condition. 

In  a  few  years,  the  whole  territory  of  the  Canada,  must 
exhibit  the  appearances  now  presented  in  some  of  the  dis- 


CCS  und 
it  resist 
ome  the 
[lis  daily 
(lemoon 
lot  only 
plied  to 
is  land ; 
■ops  sel- , 
)r  is  al- 

his  sup- 
r  should 
int ;  the 
different 
ion,  and 
,  instead 
travers- 
lents  al- 
the   ob- 
buahf  to 
tsented : 
or  by  a 
ace   in- 
ist  dive 
to  wit- 
others, 
vercom- 
and  to 
Canada 

a,  must 
the  dis- 


PREFACE. 


XVU 


tricts ;  the  desert  and  the  forest  will  have  disappeared  under 
emigrant  labor,  to  give  place  to  thriving  and  populous  towns ; 
trade  and  commerce,  progressing  in  the  ratio  in  which  they 
have  hitherto  advanced,  will  have  increased  to  an  infinite 
extent ;  and  a  crowded  and  intelligent  population  will  ret\p 
the  fruits  of  former  toil.  The  main  channel  of  Canadian 
prosperity  is  unquestionably  her  water  communication ;  her 
inland  seas,  the  vast  lakes  of  the  American  Continent,  and 
the  river  St.  Lawrence  have  already  been  alluded  to,  but 
hardly  in  terms  of  sufficient  praise  i  no  country  in  the  world 
can  boast  a  similar  extent  of  lake  navigation,  and  in  no 
country  can  be  discovered  a  stream  of  greater  beauty  and 
usefulness ;  whether  we  regard  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  grand 
boundary  stream,  as  a  natural  defence  in  war,  or  as  the  great 
channel  of  Commerce  in  peace,  it  is  equally  entitled  to  our 
admiration ;  the  advantages  it  affi>rds  in  each  respect  can 
only  be  estimated  by  the  consequences  that  are  every  where 
apparent,  in  the  increasing  wealth  of  the  country,  and  the 
happiness  of  its  inhabitants;  in  the  metamorphosis  of  a  de- 
sert into  a  thriving  and  populous  state. 

The  exclusive  right  of  British  subjects  to  the  navi- 
gation of  this  river,  has  an  important  reference  both 
to  the  political  power,  and  the  trading  privileges  of  the 
Provinces ;  to  share  this  privilege  would  be  to  anticipate  the 
eventual  loss  of  the  Canadas,  for  in  the  first  place  tlie  earring 
trade  to  the  British  shipping  would  be  engrossed  by  others, 
and  the  facilities  of  smuggling  be  increased;  and  in  the  second 
the  interests  of  two  separate  powers  would  so  often  clash  in 
the  prosecution  of  a  mutual  privilege,  as  to  be  productive  of 
the  utmost  confusion,  and  finally  terminate  in  the  anihila- 
lation  of  Colonial  prosperity.  It  is  however  almost  impossi- 
ble to  imagine  the  commital  of  such  an  act  of  folly,  notwith- 
standing the  plausible  arguments  of  our  Commercipl  oppo- 
nents, for  although  it  were  admitted  at  the  present  \  ^riod  that 


I 


II 


H 


xviu 


PREFACE. 


the  expanso  of  navigable  waters  in  Canada  aflbrdi?  ample 
range  for  the  shipping  of  both  countries,  it  may  be  reason- 
ably surmised  that  ere  the  lapse  of  many  years,  the  British 
and  native  tonnage  mil  be  doubled  or  trebled  in  the  Colonial 
trade,  and  that  the  St.  Lawrence  will  become  the  Baltic  of 
America  through  the  exercise  of  the  protected  energies  of 
these  Provinces. 

The  wealth  of  every  country  consists  in  a  surplus  p/oduct 
beyond  the  necesities  of  consumption,  whether  through  the 
agency  of  the  husbandman  or  the  manufacturer ;  Canada  is 
already  capable  of  raising  an  immense  surplus,  and  is  there- 
fore in  the  possessiou  of  immense  wealth — with  her  present 
limited  means  of  cultivation,  her  great  staple,  wheat,  forms 
an  article  of  profitable  export,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  if  the  country  were  brought  to  its  properbearing,andtho 
surface  adapted  to  its  legitimate  purpose  throughout  its  ex- 
tent, a  supply  of  grain  could  be  raised  capable  of  relieving 
the  severest  necessities  of  the  mother  country,  and  render- 
ing her  independent  of  a  foreign  state  for  the  food  of  her 
inhabitants.  But,  there  are  prospective  as  well  as  actual 
advantages  ;  in  the  article  of  hemp,  an  admirable  opportu- 
nity is  offered  of  rei^dering  England  dependent  upon  her 
colonies  rather  than  a  stranger ;  the  very  best  quality 
might  readily  be  grown  in  Canada,  as  much  to  the  advan- 
tage of  the  grower,  as  of  importance  to  the  merchant,  in  the 
improvement  of  the  soil  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  encourage- 
ment of  trade  on  the  other.  These  are  sufficient  examples, 
although  others  might  be  named,  of  the  actual  and  possible 
resources  of  this  territory ;  extent  of  surface,  fertility  of  soil, 
goodness  of  climate,  and  an  increase  in  population  are  the 
assistants  to  her  prosperity,  and  the  ability  of  the  exporting 
such  an  amount  of  native  produce  as  will  pay  for  the  import- 
ed articles,  must  ere  many  years,  havq  witnessed  the  exer- 


PKEFACErf 


XIX 


I  ample 
reason- 
British 
Colonial 
Baltic  of 
orgies  of 

product 
ugh  the 
anada  is 
is  thcrc- 
r  present 
it,  forms 
10  doubt 
r,  and  the 
ut  its  ex- 
relieving 
render- 
|od  of  her 
,8  actual 
lopportu- 
ipon  her 
quality 
advan- 
t,  in  the 
lourage- 
:ample8, 
possible 
of  soil, 
are  the 
[xporting 
import- 
le  exer- 


iioiis  of  the  population,  place  hor  on  the  same  level  with  the 
most  favoured  countries. 

The  great  misfortune  of  England  is  her  excessive  popula- 
tion, over  a  smAll  tract  of  Country;  the  drawback   upon 
Canada,  is  the  want  of  a  sufficient  number  of  inhabitants — 
thus  the  interests  of  both  countries  arc  served  by  emigra- 
tion ;  the  former  parts  with  that,  which  is  a  burden  upon  hiir 
soil,  whilst  the  latter  receives  the  only  gift  that  can  rend<T 
her  soil  of  advantage.     Important  as  emigration  is  to  Can- 
ada, it  is  yet  of  more  consequence  to  the  poor  of  Britain  ; 
the  frequent  accounts  of  their  abject  misery,  of  the  wretch* 
ed  poverty  that  too  often  drives  them  to  the  commission  of 
crimes,  are  sufficient  inducements  to  the  philanthropist  to 
promote  their  removal  from  the  scene  of  distresii ;  an  op- 
portunity is  afforded  them,  upon  the  cheapest  terms  that 
a  benefit  was  ever  proposed,  of  cxchaftgeing  beggary  for  in- 
dependence, starvation  for  plenty,  idleness  and  disease,  for 
health  and  exertion  :  they  ejflect  a  beneficial  alteration  in 
their  own  circumstances,  and  at  the  same  time  lend  import- 
ant aid  to  the  society  in  which  they  arc  received..    It  is  not 
desirable  that  all  emigrnilts  should  be  in  affluent  circum- 
stances ;  the  duty  required  at  their  hands  is  varied  in  its 
kind,  from  the  labours  in  the  stud}:,  the  ofHce,  and  the  lab- 
oratory, to  those  at  the  loom,  in  the  field,  and'in  pubUc  works ; 
there  is  occupation  for  all,  employment  in  every  description 
of  trade  and  handicraft.    The  poorest  individuals  are  ren- 
dered valuable  assistants  to  the  general  comlmunity,  and 
there  are  repeated  instances  of  families  >Vho  iipon  their  ar- 
rival did  not  possess  the  means  to  purchase  the  next  meal, 
having  attained  to  a  condition  of  decent  competency.    If 
such  individuals  had  remained  at  home,  how  different  their 
lot !  doomed  to  suffer  poverty  and  Want,  to  eke  out  a  mis- 
erable exiatenee  by  subsisting  upon  th^.  ciiarity  of  the  be- 

B 


XX 


PREFACE. 


nevolcnti  they  would  liavc  lived  as  tniscrublc  dcpcndcntf'^ 
and  oppressed  society  still  further  by  entuiling  a  needy  oH- 
spring  upon  its  members ;  as  emigrants,  on  the  contrary 
the  opportunity  for  bodily  and  mental  improvement  is  of- 
fered to  them  ;  they  have  no  excuse  for  refusing  it,  and  in 
the  majority  of  instances  the  force  of  example  operates  as  a 
spur  in  its  ready  acceptance  ;  they  work  and  their  labour  is 
rewarded,  they  earn  more  than  is'rccjuired  for  their  wants, 
they  savo  money,  purchase  property,  become  lords  of  the 
soil,  and  hold  a  stake  in  the  advancing  prosperity  of  the 
country.  - 

As  yet,  the  population  of  the  Canadas  is  trifling  in  com- 
parison to  its  extent ;  notwithstanding  the  length  of  time 
they  have  been  attached  to  the  crown,  and  the  number  of 
emigrants  who  have  arrived,  vast  tracts  are  untenanted ; 
hitherto  a  large  number  of  families  who  had  left  the  English 
shores  for  the  American  continent,  travelled  through  Can- 
ada to  the  United  States,  or  embarked  for  ports  in  that  coun. 
try,  in  consequence  of  the  encouragement  they  received  to 
yCttle  in  N.  York,  Pensylvania  Ohio  &c.,  an  encouragement 
which  was  was  denied  to  them  by  their  own  government ; 
latterly  the  system  has  been  happily  changed,  protection 
has  been  extended  to  the  emigrants  in  the  British  provinces, 
and,  as  might  have  been  expected,  Canada  receives  by  far 
the  larger  portion  ;  thousands  of  subjects  arc  thus  retained 
in  their  allegiance,  British  property  is  rendered  more  valua- 
ble by  their  assistance,  and  t!;e  national  welfare  is  promoted 
by  their  instrumentality,  at  the  same  time  that  their  own  so- 
cial enjoyment  is  secured  in  all  the  relations  and  comfoits  of 
existence.  * 

Tlio  settlcm«;i)l  of  sonic  huUviduals  in  the  Canadui-',  pos- 
RRSsinij  a  oonsi(l<!iahle  capital,  in  urnjuostionably  an  object 
oi  niiirli  intoropt  and  impnrtanrr  ;  fhr  valnr  of  thr  money 


PREFACE. 


XXI 


introduced  into  the  country  in  dircctiiifr  iahour,  and  in  ac- 
complishing under  one  design  great  measures  of  improve- 
ment, is  no  less  experienced  than  the  benefit  afforded  to 
society  at  large,  in  the  example  displayed  by  their  conduct 
and  behavior ;  they  in  fact  check  the  growth  of  rudeness 
and  vulgarity, — they  arc  the  promoters  of  education,  which 
bears  as  strongly  upon  the  moral  as  the  intellectual  condi. 
tion  of  the  population,  and  they  keep  up  and  regulate  that 
social  order  in  the  community,  and  if  we  may  so  express  it, 
that  tone  in  Canadian  society  that  adds  to  the  convenience 
and  the  happiness  of  all. 

The  subject  of  emigration  is  an  important  one,  and  it 
would  be  singular  if  it  possessed  not  its  opponents  as  well 
as  its  advocates ;  so  often,  indeed,  have  these  met  in  argu- 
ment, that  the  topic  may  be  said  to  have  been  sufficiently 
examined  for  the  discovery  of  its  merits  and  defects.  We 
have  already  alluded  to  the  past  and  present  condition  of 
the  Canadas,  and  urged  the  absolute  necessity  of  a  large 
population,  if  it  be  intended  to  relieve  the  mother  country 
from  the  burthen  of  supporting  them ;  their  soil  is  waiting 
for  the  labourer,  their  natural  advantages  are  ready  for  ac- 
ceptance, the  thick  forest  requires  but  the  industry  of  man 
to  convert  it  into  the  fertile  field.  What  the  United  States 
have  done,  that  can  the  Canadas  perform,  but  only  through 
the  same  means — an  immense  increase  of  population. 

There  are  no  arguments  that  can  weaken  the  importance 
of  these  facts  as  they  apply  to  this.territory.  As  far  as  regards 
emigration  from  the  British  Isles,  it  has  been  asserted,  that 
if  all  the  means  of  employment  were  duly  appropriated  in 
those  situations,  there  would  no  longer  be  any  necessity  for 
the  settlement  of  their  inhabitants  in  distant  lands  ; — this 
sounds  well,  but  the  theory  alone  exists ;  if  we  could  re- 
model society,  or  engraft  some  new  elements  into  its  com- 

B2 


XXll 


PHKFACE. 


position,  a  new  order  of  circninHtancr's  mijilit  arise,  and 
arrangenients  that  suited  with  every  rlaas  of  soriely  be  ac- 
compUshed ;  but,  in  the  mean  time,  what  remedy  ean  be 
proposed  for  the  relief  of  tho  abject  and  starvin;;  thousands, 
who  convert  once  merry  England  into  a  scene  of  the  deep- 
est  distress, — who  fill  the  prisons  in  Ireland,  and  groan  un- 
der the  miseries  of  poverty  in  Scotland  ?  They  are  unas- 
sisted by  ingenious  theories,  and  unaided  by  arguments  of 
what  ought  to  be  done  ; — the  hungry  are  not  fed,  nor  the 
naked  clothed  by  such  philanthropy.  The  evils  endured 
are  evident  beyond  contradiction  ;  and  the  only  mode  by 
which  they  can  be  lessened,  is  emigrationf  which  gives  to 
tens  of  thousands  the  means  of  support,  and  the  comfort- 
able home  denied  them  in  the  land  of  their  birth.  Let  the 
authonties,  then,  in  the  various  parishes  of  Britain,  whose 
inhabitants  are  taxed  almost  beyond  endurance  for  the  sup- 
port of  their  poor,  contribute  in  the  formation  of  a  fund, 
that  in  its  application  shell  relieve  their  complaint;  the 
remedy  is  in  their  own  hands,  and  consists  simply  in  pro- 
viding each  applicant  with  the  means  oi  transport  to  Cana- 
da, and  a  small  sum  in  his  hands  when  he  arrives  at  Gluebec : 
thus  will  they  get  rid  of  incumbrances  upon  their  own  pro- 
perty, and  at  the  same  time  afford  the  fairest  means  in  pro- 
moting the  happiness  of  their  fellow-being?<.  The  partial 
relief  extended  to  paupers,  who  express  an  inclination  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  western  continent  is  a  most  improvident  applica 
tion  of  funds  ;  the  trifling  sum  yielded  is  barely  snflicicnt  to 
pay  their  expenses  to  the  nearest  sea-port,-Tand  thus  they  are 
thrown  upon  another  portion  of  society  with  the  same  wants 
as  before.  Give  to  the  emigrant  sufHcient  to  pay  his  pas- 
sage, and  support  him  for  a  short  time  after  arrival  in  his 
new  country,  and  if  he  possess  the  moral  or  physical  ability 
of  improvement,  he  must  ajirpeed  in  working  on!  his  own 


rREFACF.. 


XXIli: 


iudcppml<»ncr»,  nnd  will  probahiy  gain  nil  tlio  comforts  of 
existence.  The  pn'??ent  lot  of  thenr  individnnlH  whof^o 
parents  settled  in  Canada,  is  an  admirable  illuHtration  of 
these  remarks;  they  arc  in  the  posf^cHsion  of  excellent 
farms,  of  large  a  id  profitul;lo  tracts  of  land,  tliry  hold  a 
most  important  Mtak<3  in  tho  prospi'iity  of  llio  country,  and 
rank  with  the  most  useful  momhcrs  of  the  coiiimimity ;  how 
were  these  advantages  procurfMl  ?  By  the  very  exertions 
now  required  at  the  hands  of  the  rmij»rajits  ;  thoy  were  the 
same  race  of  people  as  the  present,  distinguished  by  ihc 
same  character,  depressed  by  similar  misfortunes  al  home, 
poor  but  hardy,  destitute  of  means,  or  very  nearly  so,  upon 
their  arrival,  but  determined  to  persevere  in  overcoming  the 
first  obstacles,  and  laying  the  foundation  of  future  benefits. 

In  reviewing,  then,  the  previous  considerations,  it  appears 
that  there  are  three  prevailing  circumstances  in  favor  of 
emigration  to  these  colonies ;  firstly,  the  comparative  short 
distance  from  Britain,  as  under  the  present  improvement  in 
navigation,  the  voyage  is  accomplished  at  the  average  rato 
of  thirty  days ;  secondly,  the  extreme  healthiness  of  the 
climate,  as  proved  by  the  condition  of  the  population ;  and 
thirdly,  the  facilities  presented  for  immediate  employment, 
by  which  the  necessities  of  the  settler  are  provided  for. 

If  it  be  said  with  respect  to  the  healthiness  of  the  climate, 

that  the  assumption  is  contradicted  by  the  prevalence  of 

swamps   in  some  districts,    the  objection  is  easily  reeist- 

«d  ; — granted  that  the  swamp  land  is  unwholesome,  how 

long,  let  it  be  asked,  can  this  continue?     Until  the  country 

is  supplied  in  all  its  parts  with  a  population,  who  will  drain 

these  swamps,  and  render  them  the  finest  meadow  land  in 

the  world.    Canada  is  not  singular  in  this  respect ;  nearly 

every  country  in  its  infancy  has  been  subjected  to  diceases 

arising  from  collections  of  stagnant  air  and  water  j  but  di- 

B3 


i 


' 


1 


f 


:sxiv 


PREFACE. 


rectly  the  industry  of  man  lias  cleared  the  forest,  and  drain- 
ed the  swamp,  the  sources  of  those  diseases  have  been  dried 
up,  and  a  pure  atmosphere  reigns  in  the  place  of  the  miasm 
that  heretofore  prevailed.  In  those  districts,  where  settle- 
ments have  been  formed,  no  complaints  of  this  nature  can 
be  entertained,  and  in  proportion  as  the  country  is  redeemed 
from  the  waste  by  successive  bands  of  emigrants,  the 
swamps  and  the  sickness  they  occasion  will  disappear, 
whilst  fertile  meadows  and  a  healthy  people  will  proclaim 
the  change  that  has  been  effected  in  the  face  of  nature. 

It  only  remains  for  England  duly  to  appreciate  the  natur- 
al advantages  of  theCanadas,and  to  act  towards  them  with 
a  liberal  and  enlightened  policy  that  shall  not  only  improve 
their  domestic  welfare,  and  add  to  the  happiness  of  thou- 
sands who  seek  them  as  a  home,  but  that  shall  increase  their 
rising  national  importance  as  coiinected  with  the  mother 
country,  and  render  them  willing  assistants  in  the  exchange 
of  commercial  friendship,  and  powerful  auxiliaries  in  circum- 
stances of  difficulty,  whenever  they  may  occur.  The  germs 
of  future  greatness  are  sown,  and  will  ripen  and  bear  fruit 
in  due  -season,  provided  a  parent's  hand  will  protect  their 
infancy. 


H'x 


^y  '^^,B 


■v;:   v>,tt   A: 


■t  :'    .,,  i' 


CANADA. 


In  describing  the  condition  of  the  Canadas  at 
the  present  periodt  it  is  intended  to  confine  the  de- 
tails principally  to  the  Upper  Province,  inasmuch 
as  it  is  mostly  settled  by  natives  from  the  British 
Isles,  as  it  possesses  a  superior  climate,  is  under 
the  operation  of  English  laws,  and  altogether  pre-* 
sents  superior  attractions  to  the  settler  than  Lower 
Canada,  which  is  essentially  French  in  the  prevail- 
ing manners  and  customs,  in  its  mode  of  govern- 
ment, and  moreover,  is  but  very  partially  settled 
by  Europeans. 

The  first  land  made  in  crossing  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  to  Canada,  is  Newfoundland,  and  presents 
a  rugged  and  forbidding  appearance  from  its  high 
and  craggy  rocks ;  the  scene  is  however  soon 
changed  upon  entering  into  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence, and  in  about  two  days'  sail,  the  river  of  that 
name  is  approached.  The  attention  of  the  voyager 
is  irresistibly  attracted  to  this  noble  and  gigantic 
stream ;  upon  the  northern  shore  the  eye  is  not  re- 
warded for  its  gaze,  for  a  high  and  barren  land 
stretches  afar,  untouched  by  the  hand  of  industry. 


M 


n 
■I.J 


1  i 


11 1'l 


CANADA   AS    IT   IS. 


until  within  fifty  miles  of  Quebec ;  the  southern 
shore  however  atones  for  this  dreariness  in  present- 
ing continued  evidences  of  cultivation,  and  on  this 
bank  of  the  river  are  observed  many  neat  houses 
and  villas,  all  painted  white.  Within  a  few  miles 
of  Quebec  are  the  falls  of  Montmorency,  high- 
ly deserving  of  notice,  and  after  passing  them, 
the  city  soon  rises  in  the  view  to  claim  the  admir- 
ation of  the  passenger ;  its  numerous  handsome 
buildings,  its  extensive  churches,  with  their  tin 
covered  roofs  glittering  in  the  sun,  and  their  hand- 
somely painted  turrets,  the  stretch  of  the  bay,  mar- 
gined with  the  abodes  of  a  thriving  population, 
render  the  appearance  of  the  whole  as  imposing 
and  brilliant  as  it  is  agreeable. 

The  lower  town  of  Quebec  strongly  resembles 
many  of  the  seaports  in  Europe,  in  its  prevailing 
activity,  and  the  same  race  of  bustling  inhabitants 
are  recognized.  The  city  is  chiefly  inhabited  by 
French  Canadians,  and  in  its  general  appearance 
may  be  compared  to  a  French  town :  there  are 
two  or  three  very  good  markets,  well  supplied 
with  excellent  beef,  mutton,  veal,  poultry,  &c. 
together  with  the  peculiar  produce  of  the  country, 
such  as  maple-sugar,  Hsh,  and  a  variety  of  home- 
spun wares,  manufactured  by  the  habilors. 


CANADA.    AS    I'J'    IS. 


a 


The  shops  are  spacious  and  plentifully  stocked 
with  goods,  some  of  which  will  suprise  the  new- 
comer by  their  apparent  cheapness  ;  for,  instance, 
he  may  purchase  brandy  at  seven  shillings  a  gallon, 
rum  at  six,  and  whiskey  at  two  and  sixpence  ;  and 
the  very  cheapness  of  these  articles  has  too  often 
been  the  means  of  destruction  to  the  settler.  On 
the  opposite  bank  of  the  St.  Lawrence  stands  the 
picturesque  village  of  Point  Levi,  in  which  are 
erected  many  comfortable  villas,  and  the  country 
around  the  city  is  well  cultivated  by  some  of  the 
old  country  farmers,  who  display  the  knowledge 
of  a  superior  system  of  agriculture. 

About  ten  miles  from  Quebec,  is  the  interesting 
village  of  Indian  Lorette,  consisting  of  about  one 
hundred  houses,  and  principally  inhabited  by  In- 
dians of  the  Huron  tribe,  with  a  slight  mixture  of 
Canadians.  The  four  chiefs  who  visited  England 
ta  few  years  ago,  reside  in  this  place,  in  very  neat 
and  clean  wooden  houses :  they  all  possess  some 
relics  of  their  visit,  hung  up  in  the  most  conspicu- 
ous parts  of  their  dwellings,  and  appear  to  set 
much  value  on  an  excellent  engraved  portrait  of 
his  late  Majesty  George  the  Fourth.  John  Vin- 
cent,^  the  principal  Chief,  and  who  is  also  styled 
king  of  Lorette,  has.  In  addition  to  the  portraits, 

two  medals,  one  gold,  and  the  other  silver,  of  con- 

B5 


!   ■;! 


^TTT 


4  •       canaija  as  it  is. 

siderable  value,  which  the  king  personally  present- 
ed to  him.*  There  are  two  extremely  neat  and 
clean  Catholic  churches  in  the  village,  one  for  the 
Indians'  and  the  other  for  the  Canadians'  worship  ; 
the  former  is  handsomely  decorated  with  an  abun- 
dance of  images,  and  the  roof  bespangled  with 
gilded  dots,  and  is  regularly  attended  by  a  devout 
congregation.  These  Indians,  and  others  of  their 
tribe,  receive  annual  presents  from  the  British 
Government,  as  equivalents  for  their  conceded 
territories. 

The  passage  from  Quebec  to  Montreal  is  pleas- 
ant, particularly  in  fme  weather  ;  the  accommoda- 


*  In  a  visit  paid  to  this  village  by  the  author  and  a 
party  of  his  friends,  the  utmost  hospitality  was  exercised 
towards  them ;  his  Majesty  was  not  at  home  upon  their 
arrival,  but  the  Queen,  a  good  looking  Squaw,  did  the 
honours  and  received  them  very  cordially,  presenting 
cakes,  maple  syrup  ^-c,  for  their  refreshment.  Her 
Majesty  with  her  daughters  were  busily  employed  in 
making  fancy  baskets  for  sale,  and  observed,  that  she  was 
obliged  to  work,  but  that  the  Queen  of  England  was 
both  paid  and  kept.  In  a  short  time  the  King  returned 
home,  with  a  rush  basket  suspended  from  his  neck,  con- 
taing  a  hare  and  some  wild  fowl,  the  produce  of  his  day's 
sport :  he  was  a  tall  good  looking  man,  about  fifty  years 
of  age  ;  was  very  courteous  to  his  visitors  and  appeared 
exceedingly  kind  and  attentive  to  his  wife  and  family, 
who  evidently  regarded  him  with  much  respect. 


CANADA    AS    IT    Is. 


resent- 
lat  and 
for  the 
orship ; 
1  abun- 
3d  with 
devout 
of  their 
British 
mceded 

s  pleas- 
nmoda- 

)r  and   a 
ixercised 
)on  their 
t  did  the 
■esenting 
nt.    Her 
)loyed  in 
t  she  was 
land  was 
returned 
eck,  con- 
his  day*s 
ifty  years 
appeared 
d  family, 


tions  arc  of  the  very  best  order,  the  rate  of  travel- 
ling expeditious,  the  viands  extremely  good,  and 
the  company  generally  respectable.     The  fare  in 
the  steam-boat  Cabins  is  six  dollars  ;  in  the  steer- 
age one  dollar.     The  country  now  wears  a  more 
pleasing  aspect — neat  villages,  and   some  good 
farms  appear,  and  the  lands  are  generally  in  a 
tolerable  state  of  cultivation.      The  scenery  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  is  agreeably  diversified  by  the 
appearance  of  the  steam-boats,  and  other  vessels 
passing  to  and  fro :  occasionally  an  immense  raft 
of  timber  comes  from  the  upland  country,  cover- 
ing at  least  an  acre ;  and  then  the  light  canoe, 
gliding  gaily  over  the  surface.     These  canoes  are 
a  species  of  craft  which  (although  frequently  car- 
rying from  three  to  four  tons  burden,)  are  composed 
of  such  slight  materials  (the  bark  of  the  birch  tree,) 
that  were  they  to  strike  against  any  hard  substance, 
they  would  immediately  become  leaky,  or  batter 
in  their  sides  :  yet  with  these  slight  barks  do  the 
Indians  and  others  frequently  ride  out  the  rough- 
est squalls  in  perfect  safety.      „ 

Were  it  not  for  these  canoes,  some  of  the  rivers 
in  the  upland  country  could  not  be  navigated,  for 
the  parties  engaged  on  those  occasiony,  have  not 
only  to  curry  their  freight,  but  alrio  (lieii  boats  over 
the  poilagci^,  and  rynn  for  Ion  or  twelve  miles  at 


i 


1 1 


¥ 


■ 


■ 


'  I 


.1 
i 


i  I 


f) 


CAXAD.V    AS    IT    IS. 


some  pliiccH,  to  avoid  the  rapids  and  tails  of  the 
rivers. 

The  Canadians  of  the  Lower  Province  are  nearly 
all  Catholics,  and  pay  implicit  regard  to  the  rights 
of  their  religion.  Crosses  are  erected  on  the  road 
side,  from  which  are  suspended  various  religious 
relics  ;  and  at  their  feer,  morticed  in  the  post,  are 
portraits  of  our  Saviour,  enclosed  in  glass  cases  : 
in  many  places  his  figure  is  extended  on  the  cross 
and  few  Canadians  pass  these  symbols  of  their 
religion,  without  paying  them  due  reverence. 

Nearly  all  the  lands  in  the  Lower  Province  are 
parcelled  out  in  seignorial  manors,  and  held  under 
the  old  FrenQh  law  ;  the  seignor  or  proprietor  ex- 
acts from  his  tenants,  bv  virtue  of  their  tenures, 
certain  annual  fines ;  hence  large  tracts  of  land 
are  bona  fide  the  property  of  one  lord ;  and  al- 
though the  rents  or  fines  exacted  are  not  heavy,  yet 
they  are  at  variance  with  the  spirit  of  a  free  country. 

A  man  occupying  land  under  these  tenures  has 
no  stimulus  to  improve  his  farm  beyond  the  pre- 
sent day,  knowing  that  he  cannot  hand  down  his 
property  to  his  own  tamily,  and  is  even  deprived 
of  it  himself  if  he  fail  in  the  obligations  attached  to 
it ; — these  considerations  tend  in  a  great  measure 
to  picvent  the  advancement  of  this  part  of  the 
coiijitrv.  f  ' 


CANADA    AS    IT    13. 


s  of  the 

re  nearly 
tie  rights 
ihe  road 
religious 
post,  are 
s  cases  : 
the  cross 
J  of  their 
nee. 

)vince  are 
leld  under 
>rietor  ex- 
ir  tenures, 
s  of  land 
and  al- 
heavy,  yet 
e  country, 
inures  has 
i  the  pre- 
down  his 
1  deprived 
ittached  to 
it  measure 
iiit  of  the 


In  travelhng  from  Quebec  to  Montreal  by 
land,  you  continue  nearly  the  whole  way  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  which  is  pretty  thickly  settled 
by  Canadians,  not  many  Europeans  being  found 
amongst  them. 

Montreal  is  a  large,  handsome,  well-built  town, 
very  much  improved  within  these  ten  years,  par- 
ticularly in  the  suburbs,  which  are  ornamented  by 
many  well-built  villas,  with  gardens  attached,  in 
the  highest  state  of  culture,  and  yielding  a  profu- 
sion of  fiuit  and  vegetables.  Although  the  dis- 
tance of  Montreal  from  Quebec  is  but  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles,  yet  so  much  more  forward  is  the 
climate  of  the  former,  that  the  vegetables  and  fruits 
are  at  least  a  month  earlier  than  in  the  latter  place ; 
indeed,  the  markets  of  Quebec  are  regularly  sup- 
plied from  hence  with  the  early  summer  produce. 
The  orchards  in  the  neighborhood  of  Montreal 
are  very  prolific,  and  amongst  other  fruits  produce 
one  beautiful  apple,  called  the  **  pomme-de-gris," 
of  delicious  flavor,  and  vast  quap*'ties  of  which 
are  barrelled,  and  sent  to  various  parts  of  the  pro- 
vince, and  even  to  France,  the  country  of  their 
first  growth,  where  they  are  considered  as  supe- 
rior to  the  original  fruit,  i.rrv; 

The  Montreal  markets  are  admirably  supplied 
with  moat,  vegetables,  &c.,  and  at  a  low  price; 


i 


.# 


5»  CANADA     AS    IT    IS. 

» 

for  instance,  heeS  and  mutton,  ihrre  pence  per 
pound  ;  voal  and  ham  by  llie  quarter,  equally  low  ^ 
g^ese,  two  shillings  and  sixpence ;  turkeys,  three 
to  tive  shillings  ;  fowls,  from  nine  to  eighteen 
pence  a  couple.  In  winter,  fish,  {principally  cod  and 
oysters,)  arc  brought  hither  from  the  seaport  towns 
in  the  states,  a  distance  of  five  or  six  hundred 
miles,  in  a  frozen  condition  ;  hundreds  of  pigs, 
likewise  frozen,  are  transported  to  the  Montreal 
market.  At  this  season  of  the  year,  a  general 
gaiety  prevails ;  an  endless  throng  of  sleighs  flock- 
ing to  the  town  on  business  or  pleasure,  their 
horses  caparisoned  with  jingling  bells,  and  a  busy 
population  crowd  the  streets,  intent  upon  the  pur- 
suit of  their  several  avocations.  The  hotels  are  the 
most  comfortable  places  for  the  sojourn  of  the 
traveller,  and  the  charges  about  a  dollar  a  day, 
including  all  expenses — no  fees  to  servants  being 
necessary.        ,  »^  ■   .  \   _  -.    . 

Most  of  the  consignments  of  goods  from  Eng- 
land and  other  parts,  to  Montreal,  are  disposed  of  | 
at  public  auction  ;  and  it  is  surprising  to  observe 
the  low  prices  obtained  for  the  different  kinds  of 
manufactured  wares,  although  this  may  depend  in[ 
some  measure  on  the  supply. 

Montreal  is  justly  termed  the  key  to  Upperl 
Canada,  for  here  ends  the  navigation  of  sea  boardi 


lire   per 
Uy  low  ; 
l^s,  three 
eighteen 
cod  and 
)rt  towns 
hundred 
of  pigs, 
Montreal 
I  general 
rhs  flock- 
ire,  their 
nd  a  busy 
1  the  pur- 
ilsare  the 
rn  of  the 
ar  a  day, 
mts  being 

> 
om  Eng- 
isposed  of 
observe 
t  kinds  of 
depend  in 


to  Upper 
sea  board 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS.  W 

vessels  ;  consequently,  those  goods  destined  for 
the  upper  country,  are  warehoused  in  '  e  town, 
and  almost  all  consignments  are  made  to  the 
resident  merchants;  and  although  some  few  of 
the  merchants  residing  in  the  upper  country,  are 
their  own  importers,  they,  for  the  most  part,  come 
to  Montreal  to  make  their  purchases,  which  occa- 
sions a  great  interchange  of  communication  with 
all  parts  of  the  upper  province. 

There  are  five  weekly  papers  published,  each 
very  creditably  conducted  ;  the  Canadian  Courant 
is  of  long  standing,  and  has  a  good  circulation ; 
the  Montreal  Gazette  is  also  ably  conducted  ;  the^ 
New  Montreal  Gazette  and  the  Herald  belong  to  • 
one  proprietor — the  former,  a  literary  publica- 
tion, generally  comprising  very  interesting  matter ; 
the  latter  with  a  large  advertising  patronage,  and 
usually  containing  much  and  important  information,. 
and  the  Montreal  Herald,  which  has  a  more  ex- 
tensive circulation  than  any.  Montreal  and:  its 
suburbs  contain.a  population  of  about  50,000,  com- 
posed of  the  inhabitants  nearly  all  countries,  although 
by  far  the  greater  partare  Canadians.  The  roadsnear 
and  around  the  city  are  excellent,  for  Mac-Adam- 
izing  is  now  as  common  here  as  Day  &  Martin's 
blacking ;  indeed  they  go  hand  in  hand,  for  in 
many  parts  of  the  province,  whtre  Mar  Adamr>* 


10 


CANATM    AS    IT    IS. 


system   has   not  been  adopted,   Day  ^   Martin 
would  bo  an  intrusion  and  a  mockery. 

Montreal  is  a  busy,  bustling  town,  the  shops 
appear  to  be  well  attended  with  customers,  the 
market  filled  with  various  commodities,  and  the 
streets  thronged  with  people  of  all  grades.  The 
air  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  is  considered  more 
salubrious  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  Province, 
which  is  in  consequence  of  almost  all  the  Signory 
of  Montreal  (an  Island  of  about  fourteen  miles  by 
twenty  five)  being  clear  and  in  a  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, thus  allowing  the  admission  of  a  thorough 
current  of  air  to  purify  the  atmosphere;  and  as  a 
proof  of  its  salubrity,  people  live  to  a  good  old 
age.  Were  the  forests  cleared  in  the  other  parts 
of  the  Province,  and  free  currents  of  air  admitted, 
they  would  be  equally  healthy,  and  those  local  dis- 
eases, fever  and  ague,  hardly  known. 

Many  publications  have  appeared  at  different 
times,  some  containing  the  most  exaggerated  state- 
ments, which  would  tend  to  raise  the  expectation 
of  the  emigrant  too  highly,  and  others  the  grossest 
errors,  and  serving  only  to  intimidate  him.  Should 
the  settler  arrive  in  Canada  with  agricultural  views, 
let  nothing,  under  any  circumstances,  or  represent- 
ations, induce  him  to  purchase  lands  at  home  ;  he 
must  see  and  judge  for  himself.     In  the  first  place, 


• 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


the  land  may  not  bo  good,  the  part  of  the  country 
may  not  suit  him,  there  may  bo  no  roads,  no  ways 
of  communication,  and  many  other  difRcultios  only 
to  be  ascertained  by  personal  observation. 

Canada,  in  a  state  of  nature,  is  an  universal 
forest,  which  is  a  fact  not  generally  known,  and  the 
timber  is  of  little  value  but  for  home  purposes,  and 
making  ashes  :  it  is  almost  an  unerring  rule,  that 
the  different  kinds  of  timber  denote  the  differeiU 
qualities  of  the  soil  on  which  they  grow ;  thus,  on 
the  best  lands  will  be  seen  maple,  oak,  elm,  and 
bass  wood  and  this  land  will  be  found  best  for  culti- 
vation ;  swamps  covered  with  white  cedar,  (which 
will  make  excellent  and  durable  fences,)  are  con- 
verted into  the  finest  meadows ;  and  pine,  (either 
white  or  red,)  beech,  birch,  or  poplar,  denote  the 
poorest  soil,  not  altogether  unfit  for  cultivation, 
but  of  the  worst  description.  The  system  of  farm- 
ing here  is  so  different  to  that  pursued  in  England, 
that  the  most  inexperienced  person,  if  he  be  only 
willing,  will  soon  rival  the  most  skilful  agricultur- 
ist. Fanning  implements  of  every  kind  are  of 
such  different  construction,  and  so  easily  procured, 
as  to  render  their  importation  unnecessary.  A 
person  with  adequate  means  would  do  well  to 
bring  a  thorough  good  .stud  horse,  something  be- 


»! 


H 


id 


CANADA    AS    IT    13. 


Iweeri  the  can  and  hackt  a  good  youtig  buUt  some 
<:ows,aiid  rums,  a  mixture  of  the  South  Down  and 
lioicester  breed.  This  would  be  both  troublesome 
and  expensive,  yet  if  the  imported  stock  be  of 
good  character,  it  is  certain  to  pay  well :  it  would 
be  of  no  use  to  bring  inferior  cattle,  as  there  are 
plenty  hero  already,  and  improvement  is  only 
wantedk  Furniture,  such  as  bureaus,  tables, 
chairs,  or  any  other  heavy  kinds  of  goods,  'should 
be  purchased  here,  whilst  blankets,  bedding,  and 
all  kinds  of  portable  goods  will  prove  a  valuable 
investment* 

The  first  step  to  bo  taken  on  arriving,  if  the 
land  be  v/ild,  is  to  erect  a  shantee,  which  is  a  rough 
dwelling,  composed  of  logs  of  wood  saddled  one 
on  the  other  at  the  ends,  with  a  roof,  some  com- 
posed of  shingles,  some  of  scoops,  thai  is,  halves  of 
the  logs  of  wood,  hollowed  out,  some  of  slabs^  and 
lastly  cvered  by  the  bark  of  the  ash-tree.  The  chinks 
are  well  stuffed  with  moss,  in  order  to  render  it 
warm,  the  house  partitioned  off  into  rooms,  and  a 
very  comfortable  dwelling  is  erected  with  little 
trouble.  Personb  if  they  choose,  might,  evert  at 
first,  build  a  framf  or  a  stone  house,  as  stone  of  the 
first  quality  for  building  is  to  be  had  almost  every 
where  ;  but  it  is  more  prudent  to  erect  the  log  hut  as 
above  described,  and  for  this  reason — when  you  get 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


13 


aburn  on  your  landtyou  aro  very  likely,  from  its  run- 
nings to  burn  down  the  dwelling,  and  should  it  bo  a 
shanteo,  the  loss  will  be  comparatively  nothing. — 
Aflcr  the  erection,  clearing  the  land  must  be  atten- 
ded to,  commencing  to  under-brush  or  cut  down 
all  tho  small  trees,  not  more  than  six  inches  in  di- 
ameter ;  these  should  then  be  collected  and  piled 
in  heaps.     Tho  chopping  or  cutting  down  the  large 
trees  succeeds,  and  these  aro  again  junked  up  into 
lengths  of  fourteen  or  fifleen  feet  each,  the  tops 
{thrown  on  the  brush  heaps.*  If  the  land  be  chop- 
ped and  underbrushed  by  contract,  the  general 
I  price  is  eight  dollars  an  acre ;  to  be  chopped,  un- 
der-brushed, loggcd-up,  burnt,  and  fenced,  sixteen 
I  dollars  per  acre  ;  the  best  time  for  underbrushing 
the  land  is  in  the  early  part  of  the  fall,  so  that  no- 
I  thing  may  impede  the  process  of  chopping  during 
the  winter,  for  in  Canada  the  ground  is  covered 
with  snow,  generally  about  eighteen  inches  deep, 
from  the  month  of  December  to  the  beginning  of 
April :  after  having  chopped  the  land,  it  is  necessary 
to  wait  until  the  weather  becomes  dry  and  warm 
(which  may  be  expected  about  the  10th  of  May,) 
I  before  ilie  brush-heaps  are  set  on  fire,  when  it  will 
(if  properly  managed)    run  regularly  through  all 
I  the  land  that  has  been  chopped,  burning   the  dry 

loaves  and  all  tho  dead  veji^ctablr  matter  accumu- 
C 


I 


/; 


u 


I 


f  I 


.<       :i 


I        1 


ntmai* 


14 


CAr^ADA   AS    IT   IS. 


c* 


lated  on  the  surface  of  the  soil,  and  thereby  making 
a  good  manure.  After  the  burn  is  completed,  the 
land  should  be  logged  up,  by  putting  the  junks  of 
the  large  trees  that  have  been  already  cut  up,  into 
heaps  of  about  twenty  together.  This  should  be 
done  by  a  yoke  of  oxen  and  four  men.  Oxen 
will  be  found  of  the  utmost  value  to  a  new  farmer, 
being  more  tractable  and  steady  amongst  the 
stumps  and  intricate  places,  than  horses,  which 
are  apt  to  plunge  and  destroy  their  harness.  After 
the  wood  is  thus  piled,  it  must  be  burned,  and  un- 
less either  pot  or  pearl  ashes  be  made,  it  should  be 
strewn  over  the  ground,  as  it  is  an  excellent  ma- 
nure. 

The  choice  of  the  crop  depends  a  great  deal  on 
circumstances ; — the  time  when  the  burn  takes 
place,  the  nature  of  the  soil,  or  probably  the  do- 
mestic wants.  Should  the  soil  be  good,  and  the 
logs  have  happened  to  be  burned  about  the  middle 
of  May— ^Spring  wheat,  peas,  barley,  or  oats,  may 
be  sown,  should  either  of  those  kinds  of  grain 
be  desired  ;  grass  seed  and  clover  should  be 
sown  with  them,  as  the  new  settler  should  always 
provide  himself  with  pasture  land,  in  order  to  graze 
his  stock,  and  cut  hay  as  soon  as  possible,  par- 
ticularly should  he  think  proper  to  keep  one  or 
more  cows.     If  the  soil  be  rather  sandy,  and  it 


• 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


15 


can  be  got  in  order  by  the  25th  of  May,  Indian 
corn  and  pumpkins  would  be  a  good  crop.     The 
manner  of  planting  the  seed  is  very  simple  :  drop 
into  the  ground  four  grains  of  the  corn,  removing 
the  mould  on  either  side  with  a  hoe,  leaving  the 
distance  of  a  yard  between  each;  and  at  every 
fourth,  plant  a  pumpkin-seed,  leaving  a  little  hil- 
lock about  two  inches  deep  on  each.    Corn  thrives 
infinitely  better  when  planted  with  pumpkins,  for 
they  spread  so  much  over  the  soil,  that  they  pro- 
tect the  roots  of  the  corn  from  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
thereby  securing  to  them  a  degree  of  moisture. 
Pumpkins  here  grow  very  large,  and  are,  in  the 
fall  of   the  year,    an    excellent  food  for    pigs ; 
Indian  corn  is  not  only  a  good  food  for  pigs,  but  it 
is  at  all  times  a  marketable  article ;  and  is  of  great 
service  in  a  family,  affording  a  light  and  agreeable 
meal, when  made  into  a  kind  of  thin  pudding  cal- 
led  Sepaun ;  it  is  made  with  little  trouble,  and 
eaten  with  milk  or  maple  molasses.     Indian  meal 
is  also  an  excellent  substitute  for  wheat  flour,  and  is 
made  into  cakes  called  johnny  cakes  ;  when  mixed 
with  a  portion  of  flour,  it  makes  a  bread,  that  for 
delicacy  or  lightness  is  not  be  surpassed.     In  the 
winter  of  1829,  the   wheat  crop  having  partially 
failed,   many  people  substituted  the  johnny  cakes 

for  bread  throughout  the  winter. 

C2 


2 


i 
) 


16 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


Potatoes  will  do  well  in  a  sandy  soil,  and  arc 
more  valuable  than  any  other  crop  to  the  new 
farmer,  as  they  will  serve  both  himself  and  his 
cattle  :  the  very  finest  potatoes  are  raised  here, 
particularly  when  they  grow  in  a  new  soil,  not  be- 
ing so  good  where  the  land  has  been  a  few  years 
under  cultivation.  The  returns  of  the  crops  that 
are  to  be  expected,  vary  according  to  the  soil  and 
manner  of  its  tillage,  but  the  following  is  the  gen- 
eral.  average.  First,  spring-wheat  seldom  gives 
more  than  twenty  bushels  to  the  acre,  winter-wheat 
from  thirty  to  fifty,  barley,  in  good  land  about  for- 
ty, oats  thirty  to  forty,  peas  about  twenty  five ; 
Indian  corn  is  the  most  prolific  and  gives  a  return 
of  upwards  of  four  hundred  per  cent,  but  being 
thinly  planted  it  seldom  returns  more  than  from 
thirty  to  thirty  five  bushels  to  the  acre  :  it  thrives 
best  in  a  dry  season  ;  forming  in  its  first  growth  a 
kind  of  funnel  which  retains  the  moisture  of  the 
dew  (which  is  here  very  heavy)  nearly  the  whole 
day :  it  vegetates  rapidly,  having  been  known  to 
spring  six  inche'j  in  twenty  four  hours,  and  grows 
to  the  height  of  nine  or  ten  feet,  and  when  at  its 
growth,  and  in  bloom,  it  presents  a  very  beautiful 
appearance.  Mr.  Cobbett  has  informed  us,  that 
all  the  Indian  corn  he  has  grown  in  England,  has 
been  of  the  dwarf  kind  ;  and  it  always  will  be  so  : 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


17 


for  the  climate  is  not  congenial  to  its  production. 
Potatoes,  independently  of  their  excellent  quality, 
give  a  very  large  return,  from  two  hundred  and 
fifty  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  the  acre. 

To  emigrants  of  some  property,  the  oldest  set- 
tled parts  of  the  country  will  generally  be  found 
the  most  desirable :  the  settlements  on  the  St. 
Lawrence,  near  and  above  Brockville  to  Kingston, 
thence  to  York,  and  far  above  it,  the  roads  will  be 
found  excellent,  and  the  society,  for  the  most  part, 
respectable.  Good  mechanics  would  find  ample 
encouragement  in  most  of  the  towns,  and  smiths 
and  carpenters  would  do  well  in  the  country  settle- 
ments. Professional  men  have  generally  the  a- 
bility  to  judge  for  themselves  in  the  choice  of  situa- 
tion, but  it  may  be  observed  that  there  is  a  large 
field  for  the  exercise  of  their  respective  talents. 
As  regards  the  law,  that  in  operation  in  the  upper 
provinces  is  founded  upon  the  rules  of  English 
practice,  which  however  unequal  in  some  respects, 
however  capable  of  being  converted  into  an  engine 
of  oppression  in  the  hand  of  unprincipled  practi- 
tioners, is  yet  superior  to  the  code  of  the  lower 
province,  and  in  the  hands  of  men  of  honor  and  in- 
tegrity may  work  for  the  general  good.  In  Upper 
Canada  the  transfer  of  property  is  duly  protected, 

and  its  investment  whether  it  be  personal  or  real, 

C3 


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■    I.  '■' 


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18 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


secured  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  owner.  In 
Lower  Canada,  on  the  contrary,  under  the  opera- 
tion of  the  French  law,  a  man  may  buy  an  estate, 
commence  improvements,  and  occupy  his  soil  in 
the  expectation  that  he  has  secured  a  home  for  liie, 
when  at  the  expiration  of  three  or  four  years,  in 
comes  a  mortgagee,  and  wrests  his  property  from 
him ;  there  is  scarcely  a  possibility  of  guarding 
against  this  misfortune,  as  no  law  exists  for  the 
registry  of  conveyances  or  mortgages.  Again,  a 
wife  on  her  death  bed  can,  by  virtue  of  the  same, 
law,  absolutely  will  and  make  over  one  half  of  the 
property  to  her  children  or  even  to  strangers,  to 
the  total  exclusion  of  her  husband.  These  are 
evils  that  loudly  call  for  redress. 

There  is  also  room  in  the  Upper  Province  for 
medical  men,  and  particularly  for  those  who  can 
reconcile  themselves  to  live  in  the  country,  and 
unite  a  little  agricultural  with  medical  practice. 
There  is  no  lack  of  employment,  although  it  too 
frequently  happens  that  in  the  event  of  an  accident, 
the  patient  has  to  be  brought  to  the  doctor,  some 
twenty  or  thirty  miles,  instead  of  the  doctor  visit- 
ing the  patient,  and  for  a  very  simple  reason  :  in 
addition  to  the  medical  charge,  the  practitioner  re- 
quires (and  properly  so,)  so  much  for  his  travelling 
expences,  for  without  this  regulation  he  could  not 


7^''>'^^"""''^??^' 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


19 


possibly  attend  upon  distant  cases,  in  a  country 
w^ere  travelKng  is  so  tedious  and  so  frequently  de- 
layed :  it  therefore  happens,  that  as  the  poor  man 
cannot  pay  for  the  journey  of  his  doctor,  in  addition 
to  his  attendance,  he  must  neccessarily  seek  his 
abode  for  treatment. 

The  poor,  but  healthy  emigrant,  desirous  of  em- 
ployment can  readily  obtain  it  either  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  public  works,  or  in  the  dis- 
tant districts  of  the  Province  ;  if  he  possess  a 
small  sum  and  be  anxious  to  settle  on  land,  his 
wishes  may  easily  be  gratified,  when  his  own  pru- 
dence and  industry  will  afford  him  the  present 
means  of  support,  and  (he  future  prospect  of  inde- 
pendence ;  let  him  refrain  from  the  vico  of  intem- 
perance, take  plenty  of  exercise  in  the  open  air, 
retire  with  the  sun,  and  again  rise  with  him,  and 
he  will  experience  the  full  enjoyment  of  health, 
and  improve  both  his  moral  and  bodily  strength. 
The  appetite  created  by  exercise  and  labour, 
will  be  satisfied  with  simple  aliment,  and  the 
excellent  pork,  that  he  can  raise  himself  or  purchase 
at  a  very  cheap  rate  will  suffice  for  his  general 
diet.  An  absurd  remark  was  made  in  one  of  the 
papers  in  the  last  fall,  that  the  common  food,  fried 
pork  and  potatoes,  was  injurious  to  the  health  of 

the  emigrants  ;  to  this  it  may  be  replied  that  the 

C4 


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ni 


20 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


abuse  of  spirituous  liquors  causes  two  thirds  of  the 
sickness  in  these  provinces,  that  the  iood  com- 
plained of  is  sufficiently  good  and  nourishing,  and 
that  it  has  never  been  and  can  never  be  productive 
of  any  evil  to  the  laboring  classes  of  the  community. 
As  the  means  of  the  settler  increase,  his  addition- 
al comforts  are  provided  for ;  his  fall  cattle  supply 
him  not  only  with  a  variety  of  food,  but  with  the 
materials  for  the  manufacture  of  his  soap  and  can- 
dles; his  wants  are  nearly  all  supplied  by  his 
farm,  and  he  commences  his  independent  existence 
through  the  continued  exercise  of  his  industry. 
^  There  is  always  a  great  variety  of  lands  both  in 
d  wild  and  cultivated  state  for  sale  by  private  indi- 
viduals, the  description  of  which  may  be  found  in 
the  different  newspapers.  -^ 

The  Canada  Company  may  be  regarded  as  the 
principal  body,  through  whom  lands  are  obtained  ; 
their  chief  office  is  in  York,  but  in  almost  every 
town  they  have  established  an  agent,  and  books 
of  reference  aro  left  in  many  respectable  taverns 
for  the  information  of  the  public.  The  company 
have  had  a  la  ;ge  tract  of  land  surveyed  on  the 
borders  of  Lake  Huron ;  it  lies  about  one  hundred 
and  eighty  miles  north  west  of  York,  and  though 
there  are  man^  places  even*  farther  distant  that  are 
desirable  for  occupation,  having  excellent  roads  and 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


di 


A  continuation  of  good  settlements,  yet  the  Huron 
tract  is  as  yet  much  too  far  in  the  wilderness,  and 
is  but  thinly  peopled.     The  company  have  lands 
'  for  sale  in  all  the  upper  Provinces,  but  as  ample 
opportunities  offer  themselves  in  the  more  settled 
parts,  there  is  no  necessity  of  going  so  far  into  the 
wilderness.      Lirge  portions  of  those  extensive 
tracts  of  land  granted  by  government  to  military 
rofficers  and  others  for  past  services,  remain  in  their 
original  forest  state,    without  cultivation  of  any 
kind,  and  with  their  townships  less  improved  than 
any  others  in  the  Province.     The  reason  of  this 
may  be  traced  to  the  impolicy  of  giving  three  or 
:  four  lots  to  one  man  who  is  thus  in  all  probability 
unable  to  improve  his  land  i:  the  same  ratio  as 
ithose  around  him ;  there  are  unquestionably  many 
.characters  who  from  former  services,  are  fully  en- 
^  titled  to  the  reward  they  have  received  in  such 
^  grants,  but  since  it  is  the  aim  of  this  new  coun- 
;  try  to  cement  the  interests  of  society  by  thickly 
tand  well  settled  townships^  and  thereby  ensure  the 
erection  of  churches,  schools,  and  mills,  as  well  as 
ihe  formation  of  good  roads,  the  claiiM  should 
be  equalized  as  much  as  possible,  in  order  to  ren- 
der the  coatrlbution  of  labour  to  the  general  service 
of  equal  value  to  each  individual,  in  the  advan- 
tages secured.    It  must  he  admitted,  that  the  mili* 

C5 


i.^ 


22 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


tary  townships  are  the  least  improved  of  any  in  the 
province ;  large  blanks  of  uncultivated  land  are 
sometimes  observed,  and  in  their  original  forest 
clothing,  while  all  around  them  is  fertility.  This 
disposition  of  the  land  leads  to  another  inconveni- 
ence in  preventing  the  church  from  being  built  in 
the  centre  of  the  township ;  or  where  the  greater 
part  of  the  inhabitants  are  settled,  and  as  the  roads 
in  such  situations  are  generally  very  bad,  a  large 
poi  lion  of  the  population  are  debarred  the  lability 
of  attending  divine  service,  as  well  from  the  dis- 
tance from  the  church,  as  from  the  difficulty  of 
reaching  it  on  account  of  the  roads. 

The  price  of  wild  land  averages  from  one  to 
four  dollars  an  acre  through  the  Province, 
but  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  towns,  from  six  to 
eight ;  the  usual  terms  are,  that  one  fourth  of  the 
purchase  money  be  paid  down,  and  the  remainder 
l?y  equal  yearly  instalments.  Should  the  emi- 
grant purchase  his  lands  either  of  Government  or 
the  Company,  the  title  is  unquestionable,  but  when 
he  deals  with  private  individuals,  he  should  employ 
at  once,  a  respectable  attorney,  as  there  is  a  mode 
sometimes  practised  in  order  to  dupe  the  rnvirary  ; 
the  settler  buys  a  block  of  ground,  and  pays  the  first 
instalment,  the  vendor  then,  instead  of  returning 
the  deed,   gives  a  bond  promising  to  produce 


/I 


'^■ 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


2U 


the   deed  at  some    future    day,    when   probably 
the  land  is  not  absolutely  his  own  property ;  he 
disappears  and  the  purchaser  has  no  redress    The 
deed  for  th»   \nd  should  always  be  executed  on  the 
first  instalment  being  paid,  and  lodged  in  the  hands 
of  some  respectable  third  party  for  the  due  protec- 
of  all,  for  even  where  no  chicanery  is  intended,  the 
original  possessor  might  die  before  the  deed  is 
due,  and  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  find  his  h  eirs, 
executors,  &c.    A  person,  with  ready  cash  might 
purchase  a  very  good  farm  of  two  hundred  acres, 
with  from  fifty  to  seventy  acres  under  cultivation, 
well  fenced,  with  a  dwelling-house,  barn  &c.,  for 
about  three  hundred  pounds,  which  is  the  most  pru- 
dent beginning  in  a  new  country  for  those  who 
have  the  means. 

The  price  of  good  Canadian  horses  is  about  £25 
the  pair,  or  span,  as  they  are  called :  these  are  a 
kind  of  small  cart  horse,  well  adapted  for  this 
country.  Cows  fetch  from  four  to  six  pounds  ; 
oxen  from  fifly  to  eighty-five  dollars  the  pair  or 
yoke :  sheep  from  two  to  four  dollars  each  : 
young  pigs  taken  from  the  sow  at  a  month,  one 
dollar,  two  months  old,  seven  shillings  and  six 
pence  ;  good  store  pigs  from  three  to  five  dollars. 
A  barrel  of  salt  pork,  containing  two  hundred 
pounds  of  meat,  from  twelve  to  twenty  two  dollars ; 


y 


24 


CANADA    AS    IT    ISt 


i-' 


W 


a  barrel  of  flour  containing  one  hundred  and  ninety 
six  pounds,  from  six  to  nine  dollars.    Wheat  was 
»oId  in  Montreal  during  the  last  season  for  six 
shillings,  and  six  and  nine  pence  a  bushel ;  at 
York  five  shillings  and  seven  pence  halfpenny  (or  as 
it  is  termed  nine  N.  Y.  shillings)  has  been  the  cur- 
rent price  throughout  the  season;  above  York,  at  Dun* 
das,  Hamilton,  and  thti^  neighbourhoods,  the  price 
has  been  five  shillings.  VVhen  a  Canadian  farmer  can 
procure  a  dollar  a  bushel  for  his  wheat,  he  has  no 
right  to  complain.     Oats  at  Montreal  will  bring  at 
an  average  price,  one  shilling  and  six  pence  a 
bushel ;  at  Kingston  the  same  ;  and  at  York  from 
fif\een  to  eighteen  pence  ;  peas  about  three  shil- 
lings ;  barley  three  shillings  and  four  pence,  and 
more  of  this  grain  is  required  than  is  at  present 
grown  in  the  upper  province  :  potatoes  generally 
average  about  one  shilling  and  six  pence  a  bushel. 

On  the  Ottawa  river,  where  the  timber  trade  is 
carried  on,  to  its  largest  extent,  oats  and  hay  fetch 
a  much  better  price  than  elsewhere,  but  in  the  oth- 
er products  there  is  little  or  no  difference.  In  thp 
last  winter  the  Ottawa  oats  realized  two  shillings 
and  in  the  spriri^g  they  commanded  a  ready  sale  at 
three  shillings  and  six  pence  a  bushel :  hay  while 
selling  at  Kingston,  York,  and  some  other  places 
for  ten  dollars  a  ton,  brought  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
on  the  Ottawa. 


-,/ 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


25 


The  general  ])rico  of  Indian  corn  over  the  Prov- 
inces, is  from  two  and  nine  pence  to  three  shil- 
lings and  three  pence  a  bushel.  A  good  sized  fat 
ox  will  bring  from  oi  ^ht  to  ten  pounds,  and  a  young 
ox  for  work  is  of  the  same  value  from  their  constant 
employment  as  beasts  of  draught ;  indeed,  an  ox  is 
not  fattened  for  the  butcher  until  it  is  growing  old. 
Butter  and  cheese  made  in  Canada  find  a  ready 
and  profitable  sale. 

It  is  necessary  to  observe  that  the  prices  here 
named  refer  to  the  Halifax  currencv,as  it  is  termed; 
there  is  a  considerable  difference  in  the  value  of 
Canadian  and  English  money,  amounting  at  the 
usual  rate  of  exchange  to  about  seventeen  per 
cent.  The  English  shilling  passes  for  fourteen 
pence ;  the  dollar,  worth  in  the  British  Isles  about 
four  shillings  and  two  pence,  is  circulated  as  five 
shillings ;  the  English  sovereign  is  worth  one 
pound,  three  shillings  and  four  pence  ;  so  that  an 
emigrant  bringing  out  one  hundred  sovereigns,  is 
nominally  worth  one  hundred  and  sixteen  pounds, 
fourteen  shillings  and  four  per.ce.  It  is  a  subject 
of  some  importance  to  the  traveller  to  be  able  to 
I  calculate  his  expences,  particularly  in  this,  his 
newly  adopted  country.  If  he  ascend  the  St.  Law- 
'rence  in  the  direction  of  York  or  Kingston,  or  any 
intermediate  place,  the  fare  may  be  secured  on  to 


26 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


Prescott,  which  in  the  cheapest  manner  of  travel- 
ling will  coBt  about  three  dollars   a  hcarl.     The 
steam  navigation  docs  not  extend  lower  down  than 
Prescott.     When  at  this  place,  if  the  settler  in- 
tend to  proceed  up  the  country,  he  may  embark 
on  board  the  steamer  to  Kingston,  in  the  best  cab- 
in for  five  dollars,  in  the  steerage  for  one  dollar  ;  to 
York  for  ten  dollars  in  the  cabin,  in  the  steerage  for 
two.     There  are  no  perquisites  required  cither  in 
packet  and  stage  travelling  or  in  the  taverns,  indeed 
a  servant  would  regard  the  offer  of  a  gratuity  in  the 
light  of  an  insult.    There  are  now  three  large  steam 
boats  running  from  Prescott  to  York,  the  Niagara, 
the  Queenston  and  the  Alciope  ;  a  very  large  bout 
upon  nearly  double  the  scale  of  any  of  them  is  now 
building  by  the  Messrs.  Hamiltons  of  Prescott, 
which  will  be  afloat  this  summer,  and  of  course 
render  the  facilities  in  travelling,  even  greater  than 
they  are  at  present.     If  it  be  the  object  of  the  set- 
tler to  locate  himself  on  the  Ottawa,  at  By-town, 
or  in  its  neighbourhood,  he  may  proceed  fromj 
Lachine  about  ten  miles  from  Montreal  to  Point; 
Fortune,  for  three  dollars,  from  thence  to  Hawks- 1 
bury  by  land  for  five  shillings,  and  from  Hawks- 
bury  to  By-town,  a  dist&nce  of  sixty  miles,  for  an- 
other three  dollars.     In  this  route,  the  pleasing  ev- 
idence of  agricultural  improvement  will  be  recog- 


/  - 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


fl 


nizcd  bctwoon  Montreal  and  Lachinc,  whilst  well 
linished  and  regular  built  houses,  neat  and  thriving 
farms,  and  an  endless  and  fanciful  variety  of  gar- 
dens greet  the  eye  in  every  direction.  Lachine  is 
a  long  straggling  village  on  the  water  side,  with 
nothing  particular  to  invite  the  attention  of  the 
voyager ;  from  this  place  the  journey  may  be  con- 
tinued through  lake  St.  Louis,  and  about  fourteen 
milesabovo  Lachine,the  junction  of  the  noblerivers^ 
the  St.  Lawrence,  and  the  Ottawa,  may  bo  observed 
running  their  course  side  by  side  through  the  lake, 
without  an  admixture  of  their  waters.  A  dark 
reddish  stream  marks  the  track  of  the  Ottawa, 
while  that  of  the  St.  Lawrence  is  distinguished  by 
its  clear  blue  colour ;  the  separate  courses  of  the 
rivers  are  thus  continued,  until  the  rapids  of  Caril- 
lon are  gained,  when  the  violence  of  the  current 
unites  them  in  one  impetuous  flow.  The  military 
post  of  Coteau  de  lac  where  Government  retains  a 
small  garrison,  next  receives  the  traveller,  from 
whence  sometimes  by  batteaux,  (large  boats)  and 
sometimes  by  land,  an  easy  passage  is  secured  to 
Prescott.  This  is  a  comfortable  little  town,  with 
many  good  houses  and  stores,  and  the  Country 
around  is  well  cultivated.  Prescott  is  rendered  of 
some  importance  from  its  situation,  as  being  the 
place  where  the  regular  navigation  terminates,  and 


V' 


28 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


% 


the  opposite  town  to  Ogdensburg  on  the  American 
side  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  which  is  a  place  of 
considerable  size  and  importance.  The  commu- 
nication between  the  two  places  is  almost  hourly, 
by  means  of  tow  boats,  which  have  to  cross  a 
channel  about  a  mile  in  breadth.  The  traveller 
here,  has  a  ready  opportunity  of  visiting  our  enter- 
prising neighbours,  but  he  may  be  reminded  that 
no  contraband  trade  can  be  carried  on,  as  the  au- 
thorities on  each  side  are  sufficiently  attentive  in 
the  performance  of  their  respective  duties.  In  the 
summer  time,  the  life  and  gaiety  of  Prescott  ,are 
greatly  increased  by  the  numerous  arrivals  to  and 
departures  from  the  upper  parts  of  the  Province. 
It  is  desirable  that  individuals,  as  they  are  passing 
through  the  country  ^unless  they  are  bound  to  some 
particular  spot)  should  look  at  the  newspapers  in 
the  various  places  through  which  they  pass,  as 
farms  and  situations  for  location  are  frequently 
advertised,  on  the  line  of  route,  some  of  which  may 
correspond  with  their  means  and  inclinations. 
These  inquiries  may  occasionally  be  productive  of 
a  little  delay,  but  the  time  thus  occupied,  so  far 
from  being  lost,  will  both  lend  useful  information, 
and  probably  supply  to  the  inquirer  a  comfortable 
home. 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


29 


As  the  St.  Lawrence  is  still  ascended,  the  scene- 
ry on  the  north  bank  is  well  deserving  attention  ; 
thus,  the  British  side  is  agreeably  diversified  with 
good  stone  residences,  large  orchards  and  gardens 
well  stocked  with  fruit  trees  of  every  description, 
and  many  neat  and  even  handsome  little  villages. 
This  part  of  the  country  is  chiefly  remarkable  for 
the  large  quantities  of  pot  and  pearlashes  manufac- 
tured. An  emigrant  who  purchases  a  lot  of  wild 
land,  on  which  there  is  abundance  of  elm,  ash,  ma- 
ple, and  bass-wood  timber,  may,  if  the  piice  of  the 
articles  be  tolerably  good  in  Montreal,  (say  from 
30  to  £S5  a  ton  for  pot,  and  from  33  to  ^£38  for 
pearl  ashes)  pay  the  expenses  of  clearing  the  land, 
provided  he  chooses  to  risk  the  first  outlay.  The 
expense  of  erecting  a  pot  ashery  is  not  heavy,  and 
the  process  of  manufacture  is  very  simple.  The 
whole  outlay  if  but  one  kettle  be  employed,  is  from 
30  to  £Z5  ;  if  the  kettles  be  used,  it  may  amount 
to  fifty  pounds.  Having  the  leeches  erected  (that 
is,  large  tubs  with  holes  in  the  bottoms)  its  floor- 
ing is  strewed  with  lime  about  eight  inches  thick, 
trod  down  hard  ;  the  leech  is  then  filled  with  ashes, 
and  watered  regularly  until  their  strength  is  com- 
pletely extracted  ;  during  the  time  the  leeches  are 
running,  the  icy  already  procured  from  them  is 
kept  b(jiliug  lor  about  two  days  and  a  night,  when 


ij 


i 

i  .«1H 


30 


CANADA   AS   IT   IS. 


|i^ 


it  forms  a  consistency  called  "  black  salts."    If 
pearl  ash  be  the  object,  these  salts  aie  taken  out  of 

the  kettle,  and  placed  in  an  oven  erected  for  the 
purpose,  and  there  by  a  process  of  evaporation  ^ 
formed  into  the  desired  material.  Should  the  in- 
tention be  merely  to  make  a  pot  ash,  the  boiling  is 
continued  until  all  the  ley  is  procured  that  from 
eighty  to  one  hundred  bushels  of  ashes  will  supply: 
as  the  water  evaporates,  the  mass  assumes  a  va- 
riety of  different  colours,  such  as  green,  blue,  yel- 
low, &c.,  and  at  length  an  extreme  fire  being 
kept  up,  it  presents  a  consistent  surface  of  the  co- 
lour of  melted  lead,  which  is  then  drawn  offer  ladled 
out  into  iron  pans  to  cool,  forming  in  this  last  pro- 
cess, the  substance  denominated  potash.  Pot  and 
pearl  ashesare  two  of  the  principle  staples  of  Cana- 
da, and  are  of  essential  importance,  both  as  an  ex- 
port and  for  domestic  use,  and  so  well  is  their  value 
understood,  as  to  induce  the  preservative  of  all 
the  ashes  produced  by  the  fires  of  the  family,  which 
are  readily  disposed  of  to  the  potash  manufacturers 
in  the  neighbourhood. 

About  twelve  miles  above  Piescott,  stands  the 
handsome  town  of  Brockville,  so  named  from  the 
late  distinguished  General  Sir  Isaac  Brock  ;  it  has 
been  built  since  the  last  American  war,  and  now 
contains  upwards   of  three  thousand  inhabitants. 


I 


stalior 
consid 
Engia 
white- 
laid  up 
battle-{ 


Mf-^ 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


81 


;s."     If 
a  out  of 

for  the 
oration^ 
the  in- 
oiling  is 
at  from 
I  supply: 
es  a  va- 
lue, yel- 
re  being 
f  the  co- 
or  ladled 
last  pro- 
Pot  and 
ofCana- 
s  an  ex- 
eir  value 
e  of  all 
ly,  which 
facturers 

lands  the 
from  the 
;  it  has 
and  now 
labitants. 


The  river  begins  to  widen  at  this  place,  or  in  other 
words,  to  put  on  the  appearance  of  a  lake ;  and 
about  twenty  miles  above  Brockville,  Lake  Onta- 
rio itself  is  perceived.     The  river  sceneiy  is  now 
greatly  enlivened  by  the   steam-boats  and    tim- 
ber rafts,  especially  in  the  spring  of  the  year ;  on 
these  rails,  little  cabins  made  of  the  bark  of  trees 
are  erected,  presenting  the  appearance  at  a  dis- 
tance of  many  immense  bee-hives,  and  by  this  con- 
veyance, merchandize,  yokes  of  oxen,  and  the 
commodities  permitted  to  be  brought  to  Canada 
from  the  American  side,  are  readily  transported. 
Amongst  the  variety  of  American  produce  thus 
i'^ceived  into  Canada,  the  most  singular  consists 
f  whole  cargoes  of  pigs,  brought  on  the  rafts,  two 
or  three  hundred  at  a  time.     Live  stock  pay  a  very 
low  duty,  and  hence  our  neighbours  find  these  pigs 
a  very  profitable  article  of  commerce. 

Lake  Ontario  now  commences,  and  the  first 
place  in  this  route  on  its  borders,  is  Kingston,  ?» 
large  and  well  built  town,  and  the  principal  naval 
station  on  the  Lake.  Its  appearance  has  been 
considered  somewhat  like  that  of  Portsmouth,  in 
England,  and  the  resemblance  is  assisted  by  its 
white  cliflfs,  and  by  some  large  ships  that  are  here 
laid  up  in  ordinary.     The  St.  Lawrence,  a  line  of 

I  battle-ship  pierced  for  130  guns,  two  frigates,  some 
D 


1  \H 


32 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


rl 


sloops,  &c . ,  attach  a  character  to  this  safe  and  ex- 
cellent harbour.     Kingston  is  altogether  (if  the 
expression   be  orthodox)   a  fresh-water  sea-port 
town;  is  clean,  large,  and  well  built,  and  may 
already  be  ranked  as  a  place  of  great  importance. 
The  markets  are  exceedingly  well  supplied  from 
the  cultivated  lands  in  the  neighbourhood  ;  and  it 
is  the  residence  of  a  great  number  of  opulent  and 
highly  respectable  inhabitants.    It  has  of  late  years 
been  supposed  by  some  individuals,  that  the  seat 
of  government  would  be  removed  from  York  to 
Kingston ;  but  the  building  a  new  house  of  assem- 
bly at  York,  together  with  other  preparations,  con- 
tradict the  assumption  that  the  legislatorial  offices 
will  be  removed.     As  a  commercial  town,  Kings- 
ton ranks  the  second  in  Upfler  Canada,  although 
her  prosperity  received  a  serious  blow,  a  few  years 
since,  from  the  effects  of  which  she  is  but  just  re- 
covering.    The  consequences  of  tree  trade  wer* 
bitterly  experienced  in  Canada,  and  Kingston  in 
particular  sufiered.     A  want  of  confidence  pre- 
vailed, the  colonial  bank  paper  was  depreciated, 
and  at  length  the  bank  compelled  to  suspend  its 
payments,  and  wind  up  its  accounts.     These  cir- 
cumstances are  now  happily  contrasted  by  the  pre- 
vailing prosperity ;  a  second  bank  has  been  esta- 
Hlished  in  the  town  through  the  exertions  of  Chris- 


and  S( 
troduc 
bly  ab 
ofbani 
live  ai 
they  le 
secjtifl 
dual  a( 
tributin 
at  large 
King 
importa 
provinc 
In  the 
creasin 
success 
sented 
scarcel; 
bear  ai 
the  fert 
these  n 
able,  bi 
ofsetth 
freed  fr 
Shoi 
ada  be 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


33 


e  and  ex- 
ir  (if  the 
sea-port 
and  may 
portance. 
lied  from 
d ;  and  it 
Lilent  and 
late  years 
t  the  seat 
1  York  to 
of  assem- 
ions,  Gon- 
ial offices 
n,  Kings- 
al  though 
few  years 
it  just  re- 
ade  wei* 
ngston  in 
)nce  pre- 
jreciated, 
spend  its 
?hese  cir- 
y  the  pre- 
►een  esta- 
of  Chris- 


topher Hagerman,  the  representative  for  Kingston, 
and  Solicitor  General  of  Upper  Canada,  who  in- 
troduced and  carried  through  the  House  of  Aslkem- 
bly  a  bill  for  its  incorporation.  The  establishment 
of  banks  in  any  part  of  the  country  always  is  posi- 
tive and  pleasing  evidence  of  prosperity ;  and  as 
they  lend  means  to  industry  ^nd  enterprize  in  pro- 
sec  i  ting  undertakings  for  public  as  well  as  indivi  = 
dual  advantage,  they  must  be  considered  as  con 
tributing  towards  the  real  interests  of  the  country 
at  large. 

Kingston  will  probably  become  a  place  of  much 
importance,  as  well  from  its  central  situation  in  the 
province,  as  for  being  the  principal  naval  station. 
In  the  neighbourhood,  the  population  is  greatly  in- 
creasing, and  thriving  townships  appear  in  quick 
succession  on  that  land,  which  a  few  years  ago  pre- 
sented the  desolation  of  the  wilderness,  and  had 
scarcely  been  passed  by  the  foot  of  man.  The 
bear  and  the  wolf  held  undisputed  range,  where 
the  fertile  meadow  and  the  farm  yard  now  exist : 
these  marauders  are  still  more  plentiful  than  desir- 
able, but  they  recede  in  proportion  to  the  advance 
of  settlers,  and  in  a  few  years  the  country  may  be 
freed  from  them  altogether.  . .  r 

Should  the  route  from  Montreal  to  Upper  Can- 
ada be  preferred  by  way  of  Ottawa,  and  through- 

D2 


n 


II 


f 


.♦■' 


m 


IH.^ 


1 


^1 


34 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


hi. 


r    III 


the  heart  of  the  country  from  By-town  to  Kings- 
ton, the  journey  may  be  made  either  by  land  or 
water  from  Montreal  to  Point  Fortune:  in  the 
journey  by  land,  the  traveller  continued  in  lower 
Canada  until  he  reaches  Greriville,  (40  miles) 
which  is  opposite  to  Point  Fortune  ;  on  the  road 
are  many  Canadian  villages,  although  in  this  part 
of  the  lower  Province  there  are  more  British  set- 
tlers than  elsewhere,  St.  Anne's  is  a  pretty  rural 
village  on  the  banks^of  the  Ottawa,  and  it  was  here 
that  the  Irish  bard,  Thomas  Moore,  composed  his 
"  Canadian  Boat  Song."  At  Grenville,  the  Gov- 
ernment are  making  a  canal,  twelve  miles  in 
length,  in  order  to  avoid  the  rapids  of  the  .Long 
Sault :  for  some  time  the  work  was  not  carried 
on  with  the  energy  and  expedition  which  marked 
the  progress  of  the  Rideau  canal,  although  it  is 
now  continued  with  greater  rapidity,  and  when 
finished  it  will  be  of  the  utmost  consequence  to  the 
navigation  of  the  Ottawa.  The  voyage  from 
Grenville  to  By-town  is  performed  in  a  steam- 
boat in  rather  less  than  12  hours,  whereas  four 
years  ago  it  employed  30  hours  ;  at  that  time  there 
was  scarcely  a  settler  between  the  two  places,  but 
now  on  both  banks  of  the  river  there  is  an  aston- 
ishing change  ;  although  on  the  liower  Canada 
side  of  the  Ottawa,  with  the  exception  of  its  imme- 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


35 


diate  banks,  the  country  is  wholly  in  a  state  of  na- 
ture.    F'^r  many  hundreds  or   oven  thousands  of 
miles,  this  part  of  Canada  has  never  been  thorough- 
ly explored ;  a  small  party  went  in  this  direction 
about  two  years  since,  but  they  returned  with  no 
other  information  than  that  there  were  some  lakes 
and  beaver  meadows,  in  that  section  of  the  Province; 
and  as  it   doubtless  contains  much  fertile  land, 
it  is  to  be  lamented  that  it  has  not  been  properly 
explored.    On  the  approach  to  By-town,  the  scene- 
ry v/nich  bursts  most  unexpectedly  on  the  view,  is 
scarcely  to  be  surpassed  for  its  boldness  and  sub- 
limity :  the  first  objects  that  strike  the  attention  are 
the  Ride^ii  falls  about  two  miles  below  the  town  ; 
these  are  two  distinct  falls,  which  rush  over  the 
precipice  in  the  form  of  a  curtain  from  a  height  of 
about  fifty  feet :  the  Union  Bridge  (so  called  from 
connecting  the  upper  and  lower  Province  by  cross- 
ing the  Ottawa,  which  is  the  boundary  line  between 
them)  now  opens  to  the  view,  and  presents  a  piece 
of  architecture  that  reflects  the  highest  credit  on 
those  who   accomplished  such  a  gigantic  under- 
taking ;  the  current  of  the  river  is  here  broken  by 
tremendous   rocks,  on  which  rest  the  abutments 
of  the  bridge ;  the  centre  arch   forms  a  span   of 
two  hundred  and   seventy  feet,  which   may  give 

some  idea  of  the  immense  labour  and  difiiculty  re- 

D3 


il 


I, 
I 


f^ 


36 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


quired  in  its  accomplishment :  it  is  let  at  a  yearly 
rent  of  about  ^£200,  each  foot  passenger  paying  a 
penny,  horses  two  pence,  and  so  on. 

Immediately  above  the  bridge  are  the  falls  ex- 
tending across  the  Ottawa,  called  the  "  Chandiere 
Falls,"  these  assume  all  imaginable  forms,  but  it  is 
in  the  winter,  when  the  river  is  frozen  over,  that 
they  present  the  most  interesting  appearance  :  the 
ice  accumulates  to  the  very  edge  of  the  falls,  and 
in  congealed  «nasses  down  the  ledges  of  the  rocks, 
becoming  transparently  white  from  the  intense 
freezing,  and  forming  apertures  through  which  the 
dark  red  waters  of  the  Ottawa  rush  with  an  incon- 
ceivable fury,  the  foam  casting  up  the  frozen  parti- 
cles, which,  from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  assume  every 
variety  of  hue.  The  Union  Bridge  leads  from  By- 
town  to  the  village  of  Hull ;  which  is  now  a  very 
large  and  well  settled  township ;  it  owes  its  first 
settlement  to  Mr.  Philemon  Wright,  who  came  to 
this  spot  about  thirty  years  ago,  when  not  a  tree 
was  cut. 

Mr.  Wright,  justly  called  the  father  of  the  town- 
ship, is  an  American  gentleman,  who  'has  given 
proofs  of  an  enterprising  and  persevering  mind  ; 
he  has  lived  to  see  his  numerous  followers  arrive  at 
a  state  of  comparative  affluence,  and  as  the  coun- 
try in  which  the  township  is  situated  is  entitled, 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


m 


early 
ing  a 


town- 
given 

mind  ; 

rrive  at 
coun- 

ntitled, 


from  its  increased  population,  to  send  a  member 
to  the  house  of  Assembly,  Mr.  Wright  has,  very 
properly,  been  returned  this  last  election  as  its 
representative,  and  since  that  period  an  additional 
member  has    been    elected.      The  township  of 
Hull  is  skirted  by  a  ridge  of  mountains,  being  a 
continuation  of  that  chain,  which  is  seen  for  some 
distance  at  the  back  of  Quebec ;  they  are  sup- 
poised  to  extend  for  some  thousands  of  miles,  and 
are  even  belie^'ed  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  An- 
des in  South  America.     A  part  of  the  mountains 
near  Hull  have  been  explored  and  are  found  to 
contain,  deeply  embedded,  great  quantities  of  iron 
and  lead  ore,  black  lead  and  marble,  and  some 
minerals,  and  although  it  is  probable  that  coals 
might  be  found,  none  have  been  yet  discovered ;  the 
iron  ore  produces  75  per  cent,  or  three  fourths  of 
iron.     These  mines  have  not  hitherto  been  work- 
ed, from  the  want  of  persons  competent  to  the  un- 
dertaking, both  as  respects  pecuniary  means,  and 
ability  to  engage  in  the  task.     But  a  field  of  enter- 
prize    is   doubtless  open  to  the  individual   who 
would  commence  a  search  for  the  treasures  con- 
tained in  the  bowels  of  the  earth ;  at  present  a 
vast  mass  of  property  lies  dormant  and  utterly  use- 
less, but  let  it  be  redeemed,  and  immediate  oppor- 
tunity is  offered  of  transporting  it  to  a  scene  of  use- 


38 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


fulness,  as  By-town  is  not  more  than  12  miles 
distant,  and  there  are  various  other  places  that 
would  participate  in  the  advantage,  and  reward  a 
spirited  projector.  -   ^  .,  . 

By-town,  independently  of  its  close  connection 
with  the  Rideau  canal,  will  in  all  probability  be- 
come a  large  and  important  place ;  both  from  its 
central  situation  in  a  fertile  and  well  settled  coun- 
try, from  its  close  connection  with  the  lumber 
trade  of  the  Ottawa,  and  from  its  importance  as  a 
place  of  strength  and  safety  in  the  event  of  a  war ; 
all  combine  to  warrant  the  supposition  that  By- 
town  may  ere  long  become  a  place  of  considerable 
importance;  but  the  furtherance  of  its  prosperity 
will  be  very  much  retarded  if  the  means  available 
be  not  at  hand  ;  many  men  who  have  ability  and 
energy  for  large  undertakings  and  who  have  also  a 
bona  fide  property  though  not  available,  cannot 
procure  discounts  at  either  bank  in  the  Province;  the 
distance  is  too  far,  the  parties  are  not  known — thus 
rendering  it  impossible  although  a  part  of  the  coun- 
try is  in  a  healthy  state  of  commerce  and  growing 
prosperity,  and  there  are  objects  of  enterprize 
which,  with  the  assistance  of  available  capital 
would  be  productive  of  the  best  consequences  to  its 
immediate  neighborhood)  in  the  diffusion  of  wealth 


to  the  £ 
immen 
The 
the  \'i 
therefo 
the  esl 
have  b( 
instituti 
regardc 
couragi 
same  i 
Ance  in 
interest 
bourho^ 
foundec 
and  the 
a  whole 
fourth, 
assistai 
Whe 
bear  it 
yond  i 
ly  acts 
ibuildin 
isudden 
young 
are  but 


CANADA    AS    IT    iS. 


39 


to  the  surrounding  country,  and  hence  of  conferring 
immense  benefit  to  the  Province  generally. 

The  state  both  of  trade  and  agriculture  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Ottawa,  is  very  prosperous  ; 
therefore  their  united  financial  wants  call  for 
the  establishment  of  a  bar<k  in  By-town.  We 
have  before  enlarged  on  the  importance  of  such  an 
institution  in  other  parts  of  this  new  country,  and 
regarded  it  as  the  means,  from  whence  an  en- 
couragement to  industry  might  be  derived ;  the 
same  result  would  succeed  were  a  similar  assist- 
ance in  the  shape  of  a  bank,  granted  to  the  several 
interests  of  this  populous  and  flourishing  neigh- 
bourhood. The  arguments  against  banks  are 
founded  upon  contractod  notions  of  public  policy, 
and  the  absurd  desire  of  rendering  three  fourths  of 
a  whole  population  dependent  upon  the  remaining 
fourth*  for  the  necessary  degree  of  support  and 
assistance. 

When  a  country  generally  is  in  a  state  unable  to 
bear  its  burthens,  when  commerce  is  forced  be- 
yond its  proper  limits,  a  circulating  paper  on- 
ly acts  Mith  advantage  as  a  prop  to  a  decayed 
ibuilding,  which  the  longer  it  is  kept  up,  the  more 
sudden  will  be  the  crash  of  the  structure  ;  but  in  a 
young  and  rising  country  whose  sources  of  wealth 

are  but  just  in  the  bud,  when  the  legitimate  objects 

D5 


) 


MA 


40 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


ot*  commnrco  uro  only  just  l)«ginning  to  develop 
themselves,  but  yet  possess  an  absolute  though  un- 
available property,  here  local  banks  are  indispen- 
sable ;  they  are  the  very  veins  through  which  the 
wealth  of  a  country  flows  to  its  natural  and  proper 
channel. 

The  township  of  Hull,  Mr.  Wright's  settlement^ 
is  mostly  settled  by  American  natives,  a  very  re- 
spectable body  of  people  who  give  substantial 
proofs  of  unwearied  industry  and  application. 
Hull  is  a  remarkable  thriving  and  well  settled 
township ;  in  which  several  very  substantial  lum- 
ber merchants  reside  ;  but  there  are  two  brothers, 
in  partnership,  remarkable  for  the  extensive  busi- 
ness they  carry  on  in  this  trade.  Their  christian 
names  are  Job  and  David,  and  by  which  they 
seem  to  be  equally  well  known  from  Quebec  to  the 
pine  regions  ;  these  individuals  are  entirely  indebt- 
ed to  their  industry  and  perseverance  for  the  advan- 
tages they  possess,  and  which  are  conspicuous  in 
the  surrounding  neighbourhood  ;  if  a  traveller  in 
this  neighbourhood  demand  to  whom  such  and  such 
a  raft  of  timber  belongs,  the  answer  will  frequently 
be,  *  Job  and  David;'  if  a  handsome  span  of  horses 
are  on  the  road,  the  same  reply  may  be  given  to 
a  similar  question,  and  so  of  other  species  of  prop- 
erty of  which  these  reputable  individuals  claim  the 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


41 


oivnerHhip.  The  partners  reside  together  in  a 
long  white  houne  on  the  Hull  road,  about  two 
niiles  from  the  Union  Bridge. 

The  inhabitants  of  this  part  of  the   country  are 
well  disposed  towards  one  another,  and   readily 
contribute  their  assistance  in  cases  of  urgency ; 
when  a  settler  is  unable  to  hire  laborers,  and  yet 
wishes  to  erect  a  house,  build  up  a  ban;,  log  up  his 
land  &c.,  he  calls  a  bee,  as  it  is  termed,  and  which 
simply  consists  in  summoning  all  his  neighbors  to 
bis  assistance ;  this  plan  of  mutual  aid  als  j  pre- 
vails amongst  the  females,  who  rnise  bees  for 
sewing,  knitting,  making  up  bedding,  or  foi  ar  y 
other  domestic  purpose  ;  thus  through  a  gem  iil 
spirit  of  kindness,  very  considerable  un(^<'itikingd 
})*'e  accomplished,  which  would  have  been  beyond 
the  reach  of  individual  effort.     There  is  a  trait  in 
the  character  of  this  population,  that  deserves  hon- 
orable mention ;  that  is,  strict  honesty,  of  which 
one  pleasing  instance  may  be  offered  :  Captain  S. 
a  highly  respectable  gentleman,  who  had  returned 
from  the  naval  service,   and  is  now  a  resident  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Ottawa .  when  he  first  con- 
templated a  settlement  in  the  country,  visited  the 
Upper  Canada  side  oit  the  river,  then  a  complete 
wilderness;  during  the  period  of  three  or  four 
months,  he  left  his  goods  on  the  Hull  side  of  the> 


r 


i; 


i 


I 


■'i 


;!' 


42 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


river  to  the  amount  of  seven  or  eight  hundred 
pounds,  including  many  articles  of  a  portable  na- 
ture, in  a  mere  shed  with  scarcely  any  fastening, 
and  although  this  was  by  the  river  side,  he  found 
upon  the  removal  of  his  property,  that  he  had  not 
lost  the  slightest  article.      .; 

There  are  new  settlements  forming  in  all  the 
intermediate  places  on  the  Lower  Canada  side  be- 
tween Hull  and  the  Chats,  about  thirty  miles  dis- 
tant ;  and  which  is  becoming  a  place  of  consider- 
able importance.  Here  are  the  falls  of  the  Chats, 
consisting  of  fifteen  distinct  falis,extending  to  a  dis- 
tance of  two  miles  across  the  Ottawa  ;  and  between 
each  fall  there  is  a  clump  of  pine  tree^  ;  these 
falls  ,are  extremely  novel  from  their  regularity ; 
and  here  nature  seems  to  have  copied  art,  for  al- 
most all  the  fifteen  except  the  centre  fall  are  near- 
ly uniform ;  the  centre  is  precisely  in  the  shape 
of  a  horse  shoe,  and  it  still  adds  to  the  interest 
of  this  scene  that  at  a  distance  of  about  twentv 
feet  from  the  '  ottom  of  the  centre  fall,  the  water 
in  a  circumference  of  perhaps  twenty  or  thirty  feet, 
bubbles  or  boils  up  to  a  height  often  or  twelve  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  river,  and  has  the  perfect 
appearance  of  a  foaming  cauldron.  A  gentleman, 
Mr.  White,  one  of  the  principal  contractors  of  the 
Rideau  canal,  has  lately  made  a  purchase  of  some 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


43 


property  adjoining,  and  is  about  to  carry  on  con- 
siderable improvements.  He  is  now  preparing  to 
build  a  steam-boat,  to  run  from  the  Chats  to  By- 
town,  when  in  operation,  which  will  give  a  new 
life  to  this  part  of  the  country.  The  Hudson  Bay 
Company  have  their  first  boat  established  at  the 
Chats,  and  the  Company  of  late  years  having  lost 
so  many  ships  in  the  passage  round  by  sea,  intend, 
it  is  said,  in  future,  to  make  the  Ottawa  their 
regular  route  to  their  principal  forts  and  posts  in 
Hudson's  Bay.  Above  the  Chats  are  some  new 
settlements.  Clarendon  and  Mac  Nab.  This  lat- 
ter settlement  w^as  established  by  a  Scottish  chief 
of  that  name.  "  Laird  Mac  Nab"  of  Mac  Nab, 
who  has  prevailed  on  a  great  many  settlers  to  join 
him  from  Scotland,  and  the  system  he  adopts  in  his 
little  colony  is  somewhat  similai  to  the  old  Scot- 
tish customs. 

The  country  above  the  Chats  is  not  much  set- 
tled ;  indeed  at  the  distance  of  thirty  or  forty  miles 
the  pine  regions  commence,  where  the  red  or 
Norway  timber  trees  are  the  sole  possessors  of 
the  soil.  These  groves  are  supposed  to  extend 
for  hundreds  of  miles,  although  the  country  in  their 
direction  has  only  been  partially  explored.  In  the 
fall  of  each  year,  a  considerable  number  of  persons 


44 


CANADA     AS    IT    IS. 


visit  this  tract  of  country,  remaininjij  until  the  follow- 
ing spring,  to  prepare  the  timber  for  market. 

Near  the  Chats  is  the  township  of  Fitzroy  but 
partially  settled,  and  adjoining  it  is  Ramsay  a  re- 
spectable and  populous  township  ;  nearer  By-town 
are  Goulburn  and  Huntley,  both  thickly  settled, 
the  latter  containing  some  of  the  best  lands  in  the 
Province.  On  the  front  of  the  Ottawa,  are  Tar- 
bolton  and  March,  both  thinly  settled,  although 
containing  many  respectable  officers  who  have  re- 
tired from  public  service. 

The  whole  of  this  part  of  the  province  being  cold- 
er than  the  western  portion,  is  perhaps  not  so  well 
adapted  to  the  pursuits  of  agriculture  ;  but  it  still 
presents  many  advantages  to  the  settler,  the  chief 
of  which  may  be  considered  the  healthiness  of  its 
climate. 

The  river  Ottawa  abounds  with  fish,  supplying 
to  the  settlers  on  its  margin  a  vast  supply  of  de- 
licious and  wholesome  food  ;  in  the  summer  sea- 
son pleasure  can  be  joined  with  business  in  their 
capture  as  they  come  down  the  small  streams  in 
shoals  ;  when  dried  and  salted  they  make  a  good 
store  food  for  the  winter.  The  largest  fish  in  the 
Ottawa  is  the  Masquinonger,  averaging  from  twen- 
ty to  forty  pounds  weight,  and  resembling  the  pike 
in  colour   and  in  the  shape  of  the  head,  but  in- 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


45 


finitely  superior  in  flavor.  The  cat-fish,  so  call- 
ed from  its  near  resemblance  to  that  animal,  may 
be  considered  the  most  valuable  fish  of  the  Ottawa  ; 
they  are  sufficiently  fat  not  to  require  any  butter  or 
pork  in  cooking,  and  are  regarded,  with  justice,  as 
an  excellent  and  nourishing  food.  In  addition  to 
these  are  the  pike,  the  perch,  sun-fish  (a  small  flat 
fish  having  the  appearance  of  a  sun  on  the  side)  the 
bass,  the  white  fish,  succer  mullet,  eel,  pickerel, 
&c.  They  are  easily  caught,  and  will  take  almost 
any  bait  that  is  given  them,  either  a  bit  of  pork, 
frog,  or  should  nothing  else  ofler,  a  piece  of  an  old 
moccasin. 

The  Ottawa  also  produces  the  sword  fish,  very 
formidable  either  in  or  out  of  the  water ;  it  is  de- 
structive to  the  other  species  of  fish,  and  when 
caught  will  be  found  most  troublesome  to  discn- 
gage  from  the  hook,  as  it  snaps  in  a  most  for- 
midable manner  with  its  double  row  of  sharp 
teeth.  .  \ 

Not  half  a  century  ago,  the  banks  of  the  Ottawa 
were  peopled  almost  entirely  by  Indians  of  the  dif- 
ferent hunting  tribes,  Micmacs,  Shawnees,  &c.  ; 
they  have  now  wholly  retired  from  these  parts,  and 
are  not  to  be  found  in  any  numbers  within  two  or 
three  hundred  miles  above  the  Chats,  occasionally 
coming  down  to  dispose  of  their  furs.     They  have. 


w    I 


/ 


46 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


for  the  most  part  no  settled  habitation,  but  live  a 
roaming  life,  with  aP.  their  little  wealth,  (consisting 
generally  of  a  few  blankets,  a  gun,  some  traps,  iron 
pots,  and  a  few  other  necessaries,)  in  their  canoes. 

They  are,  when  unmolested,  a  harmles^ ,  inoffen- 
sive race  •  but  in  their  wars  amongst  themselves, 
they  prfc^^ae  the  most  barbarous  cruelties.  If 
once  ofi  nded,  they  are  implacable,  and  never  for- 
give an  injury.  When  the  North  West  Company 
existed,  one  of  the  gentlemen  connected  with  that 
Company,  had  by  some  means  offended  an  Indian 
with  whom  they  dealt  in  furs  ;  this  gentleman  had 
occasion  to  go  to  England  immediately,  and  did 
not  return  for  five  years.  When  he  did  return,  it 
was  soon  known  to  the  Indian,  who  was  seen  one 
morning  lurking  about  the  fort  with  a  loaded  gun. 
He  ^  was  taken  into  the  fort  and  asked  his  pur- 
pose ;  he  candidly  owned  that  he  waited  the  ap- 
pearance of  such  a  gentleman,  whom  he  meant  to 
shoot.  For  his  treachery  he  was  hanged  without 
ceremony. 

Their  entire  occupation,  during  the  winter 
months,  is  hunting  wild  animals,  such  as  the  beav- 
er, martin,  mink,  otter,  &c.,  for  their  furs.  The 
beaver,  ♦the  most  valuable  on  account  of  its  fur,  is 
getting  somewhat  scarce.  The  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany have  therefore  adopted  the  plan  of  preventing 


CANADA    AS    IT   IS. 


47 


their  hunting  Indians  from  catching  them  in  traps 
as  tbriiierly,  lest  they  should  kill  the  young  as  well 
as  the  old,  and  thus  rlestroy  the  race. 

The  beavers  are  the  most  sagacious  of  the  ani- 
mal creation:  they  clear  meadows,  make  dams, 
and  excavate  their  little  canals ;  fell  trees,  build 
their  houses  ;  and  all  mih  the  utmost  order  and 
regularity.  When  they  fell  a  tree,  they  gnaw  it 
away  op  one  side,  so  that  it  shall  fall  exactly  in 
the  position  they  wish  :  their  water-dams  are  made 
in  the  shape  of  a  horse-shoe,  and  arranged  as  regu- 
larly as  though  it  were  done  by  the  hand  of  man. 
They  live  in  communities  of  from  twenty  to  thirty, 
and  should  one  happen  to  be  lazy,  thev  beat  him 
unmercifully,  and  will  not  suffer  him  tc  remain 
among  them.  These  discarded  beavers  are  often 
met  with  by  the  hunters,  and  are  always  in  a  lean 
condition.  They  live  principally  on  the  inner  part 
of  the  white  birch,  which  they  store  up  in  large 
quantities  in  the  summer  for  their  winter  food. 
These  animals  work  early  in  the  morning  and 
in  the  evening.  The  manner  of  erecting  their  win- 
ter habitations  is  very  curious  ; — one  of  the  large 
beavers  will  lie  on  its  back,  whilst  several  of  the 
oth^vs  load  it  with  mud ;  of  which,  by  holding  its 
legs  in  .1  particular  position,  it  contrives  to  hold  a 
lar«jc  quarttity ;    and  when  fully  laden,  the  other 


* 


"  a 

(I'l 

m 


If 


Mm  I'l 


,v. 


Hi 


48 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


beavers  take  hold  of  its  tail  with  their  toeth,  and 
draw  it  to  the  spot  tixed  on  for  their  winter  abode. 
This  is  several  times  repeated,  the  carrier  coming 
regularly  back  with  the  rest.  They  build  the  liouse 
on  piles  at  the  curve  of  the  darn,  vviih  a  floor  raised 
■above  the  water  to  keep  ihem  dry  :  it  is  abotj'  six 
feet  in  diameter  and  quite  i  oundr  with  a  hole  at  the 
bottom  to  enable  them  to  make  their  escape  in  case 
of  alarm.  A  regular  roof  is  formed  of  twigs  well 
cemented  with  mud.  These  animals  p^^sess  amaz- 
ing strength  in  their  tails,  with  wliJch  ttiey  collect 
the  mud  ior  their  building,  plaster  the  sides  of  the 
house,  drive  the  piles  to  support  the  dam  to  a  con- 
siderable depth  in  the  ground,  and  use  it  wherever 
the  force  of  a  hammer  is  required  ;  they  are  very 
broad  and  long.  '  ' 

The  Indians  of  the.  Ottawa  appear  to  have  little 
or  no  idea  of  cultivation ;  some  few  grow  a  little 
Indian  corn,  but  they  mostly  depend  on  chance  for 
their  s  ibsisience.  In  the  summer  they  make  ca- 
noes, and  bring  their  furs  down  the  river;  these 
bark  canoes  of  the  most  exact  shape,  that  will  con- 
tain twentv  men  besides  a  ton  e  and  a  half  of 
loading  with  the  greatest  safety,  are  simpl)'  made 
and  the  only  tool  they  make  use  of  is  a  pocket  knife, 
not  even  a  nail  being  required  in  their  formation. 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


49 


They  are  passionately  fund  of  spirits,  and  the 
worst  result ',  often  occur  from  their  intoxication ; 
for  when  in  this  state  the  greatest  impositions  are 
frequently  practised  on  them.  Their  mode  of 
trading  away  their  skins  is  singular ;  should  they 
have  a  hundred  or  more  skins,  they  will  only  sell 
one  at  a  time  ;  and  when  sober,  they  are  very 
acute,  and  take  good  care  to  get  their  value  ;  but 
\vhen  intoxicated,  they  part  with  them  for  little  or 
nothing,— 'frequently  a  good  beaver  skin  for  a  small 
glass  of  rum  :  and  many  a  designing  person,  well 
aware  of  this  propensity,  encourage  it  in  order  to 
defraud  them,  and  have  made  much  money  by 
these  nefarious  practises. 

Some  of  the  squaws  when  young,  are  interesting, 
good  looking  girls,  and  were  they  not  to  distort  their 
features  in  the  manner  they  do,  by  slitting  the  gris- 
tle of  their  nose,  &c.,  they  really  might  be  termed 
handsome.  The  cruelties  these  Indians  practice 
on  the  prisoners  whom  they  capture  in  their  wars, 
are  enormities  of  the  most  revolting  nature,  viz  . 
scalping,  taking  out  their  eyes,  cutting  out  their 
tongues,  and  in  this  state  making  them  walk  over 
the  burning  embers  of  large  fires,  uttering  on  those 
occasions  the  most  horrid  yells  and  groans. 

The  Micmacs  and  Shawnees  had  been  at  war  for 
a  long  time.     It  is  their  practice  in  w^arfare  for  the 


60 


CANADA    AS     IT    IS. 


Indians  to  go  about  in  parties  of  from  twenty  to 
thirty.  On  one  of  these  occasions  a  band  of  the 
Shawnees  headed  by  a  son  of  their  chief  named 
Winnc.r»vee,  attacked  a  camp  of  the  Micmacs  under 
their  chi( "  (Caunawana)  ;  the  chief  himself  escap- 
ed, but  the  Shawnees  took  some  of  his  tribe  and 
some  squaws  ;  amongst  them  the  only  daughter  of 
Caunawana  the  chief  of  the  Micmacs.  She  was  an 
interesting  young  creature  about  seventeen,  and  for 
a  squaw,  handsome.  The  Shawnees  had  to  take 
their  prisoners  some  three  or  four  days  march  to 
their  camp,  for  the  subordinate  Indians  are  not  al- 
lowed to  perform  the  office  of  scalping  &c.,  till  the 
prisoners  are  brought  before  their  chief,  who  gene- 
rally performs  this  horrible  rite  himself.  In  march- 
ing them  to  the  camp  of  \\  inneewee,  his  son  the 
young  chief  became  violently  attached  to  the  daugh- 
ter of  Caunawana,  their  female  captive.  And 
when  they  arrived  at  his  father's  camp,  the  young 
chief  most  earnestly  implored  her  rescue.  Win- 
neewee  became  outrageous  at  the  thoughts  of  his 
son  forming  on  attachment  to  the  daughter  of  his 
implacable  enemy,  and  threatened  the  young  chief 
with  instant  death  if  ho  persisted.  His  passion 
was  however  too  deeply  rooted  to  allow  even  the 
wrath  of  his  fiither  to  remove  it, — and  he  still  con- 
tiniH^d  to  implore  his  consent,  so  that  at  last  he  told 


if 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


51 


his  son,  that  if  he  would  bring  him  seven  heads  of 
the  Micmacs  before  the  setting  of  seven  suns,  he 
would  give  him  up  the  daughter  of  Caunawana. 
The  young  chief  was  not  long  in  prevailing  on  a 
band  of  stout  young  Indians  to  join  him  in  his  un- 
dertaking, and  within  the  given  time,  he  brought  to 
his  father  the  required  ransom,  and  obtained  tho 
object  of  his  wishes. 

About  two  years  aflerwards,  a  strong  party  of 
the  Micmacs  surprised  and  carried  a  camp  of  tho 
Shawnees  taking  several  prisoners  together  with 
the  son  of  Winneewee,  badly  wounded,  and  tho 
young  squaw  his  wife.  The  Micmacs  took  their 
prisoners  to  the  camp  of  Caunawana  to  undergo 
the  usual  cruelties  and  death.  The  young  squaw 
well  knew  the  violence  of  her  father,  and  that  if  she 
attempted  to  intercede  either  for  herself  or  the 
young  chief  her  husband,  that  a  more  horrible  death 
awaited  them  both.  They  therefore  made  up 
their  minds  to  their  fate.  i,  ^,.,»n 

The  Micmacs  have  a  pecidiar  custom  of  marking 

their  childrenof  both  sexes  when  young,  by  slitting 

the  gristle  of  their  noses.     When  arrived  at  the 

camp  of  Caunawana,  the  young  squaw  was  the  first 

brought  forth  to  undergo  the  horrible  ordeal.  Before 

the  first  operation  is  begun  of  peeling  the  scalp  oflT 

the  head,  a  tight  bandoge  is  bound  round  their  eyes. 

E2 


i 


i. 


?; 


52 


CANADA     AS    IT    IS. 


Caunawana,  stepping  forward  to  make  the  first  dread- 
ful gashf  stayed  his  knife  for  he  saw  it  was  a  Mic- 
mac  ;  and  on  examining  her  more  closely,  he  be- 
held in  the  person  of  his  intended  victim,  his  own 
and  only  daughter.  The  savage  breast  was  not 
unsusceptible  of  kindred  feeling.  His  daughter, 
now  aware  of  his  discovery,  implored  in  the  most 
supplicating  manner  that  he  would  not  stay  the 
operation,  unless  in  restoring  her  he  also  released 
her  husband,  the  young  chief.  Caunawana  over- 
joyed at  again  seeing  his  daughter,  whom  he  had 
long  given  up  for  dead,  released  her  husband  with 
all  the  other  prisoners,  which  was  the  means  of  re- 
^itdring  peace  between  these  two  warlike  tribes. 

Wolves  here,  as  well  as  elsewhere,  are  most  de- 
structive animals.  They  roam  in  the  forest,  and  when 
driven  by  hunger,  sometimes  come  into  the  clear- 
ances and  commit  dreadful  havoc  amongst  the  cat- 
tle. They  hunt  in  packs,  frequently  catch  deer,  and 
when  they  get  one,  every  atom  of  the  skin  and 
flesh  is  devoured  in  a  few  hours.  Their  ravages 
amongst  cattle  liiay  be  avoided  with  care  and  pre- 
caution. There  is  a  premium  paid  for  their  de- 
struction ;  five  dollars  in  the  Upper  and  ten  in  the 
Lower  Province,  yet  they  are  more  numerous  in 
Upper  Canada.  This  distinction  of  premium  is 
bad  policy,   and  well  worth  the  attention  of  iho 


CANADA     AS    IT    IS. 


53 


mum  IS 


Ilon^jo  of  Aasombly,  for  -t  is  by  no  means  tho  least 
evil  Uiat  a  settler  has  to  contend  with. 

Tho  object  of  the  premium  is  of  course  to  rid 
the  country  of  those-  destructive  animals,  and  the 
wording  of  the  act  made  for  this  purpose  is  "  that 
if  the  parties  take  the  heads  and  skins  to  a  magis- 
trate and  make  oath,  that  ho  or  they  killed  the 
wolf  or  wolves  in  the  province,  they  shall,  by  pre- 
senting his  certificate  to  tho  treasurer  of  the  re- 
spective district,  be  paid  the  allowed  premium."     - 

It  happened  a  short  time  ago,  that  a  settler  who 
resided  in  the  Upper  Prbvince,  (where,  as  was  before 
observed,  the  premium  is  only  five  dollars  each,) 
trapped  a  she  wolf,  which  was  at  the  time  big  with 
young.  A  neighbor,  an  American,  having  heard  of 
the  circumstance,  went  to  the  settler  and  purchased 
the  live  wolf.  He  fed  her  well,  and  in  a  little  time 
she  brought  forth  a  litter  of  eight  young  ones.  He 
immediately  got  a  cage  made,  and  took  the  whole 
family  of  live  wolves  into  the  nearest  part  of  the 
Lower  Province,  there  killed  them,  and  received 
the  premium  of  ten  dollars  for  each. 

The  black  bears   are  numerous  here.     In  their 

native  state  they  are  a  very  diflferent  looking  animal 

than  when  in  confinement.  In  the  summer,  when  fat, 

they  have  rather  a  noble  looking  appearance  ;  in  the 

winter  th^}  are  never  to  be  met  with.  They  take  to 
E3 


\}  . ' 


54 


CANADA     AS    IT    IS. 


their  dens,  large  holes  in  the  roc!  ,  or  earth,  and 
remain  in  them  till  the  beginning  of  May.  They  lay 
up  no  stores  whatever  for  their  winter  supplies,  but 
exist  in  a  state  of  somnolence.  When  they  re- 
turn to  their  dens  they  are  fat  and  sleek,  but  when 
they  first  make  their  appearance  in  the  spring,  they 
are  mere  skeletons.  In  the  summer  they  subsist 
on  roots,  wild  fruits,  Indian  corn,  and  in  fact  every 
thing  that  comes  in  their  way  ;  they  sometimes  do 
a  great  deal  of  mischief  amongst  the  grain,  not 
alone  from  the  quantity  they  consume,  but  they 
roll  about  and  beat  down  the  standing  grain,  thus 
destroying  it.  They  are  frequently  killed  in  commit- 
ing  these  depredations,  but  their  smell  is  so  keen 
that  it  requires  caution  to  get  near  them.  The 
general  plan  is  to  erect  a  stage  about  twelve  feet 
high,  so  that  their  approach  may  be  observed. 
They  are  frequently  also  caught  in  traps. 

The  black  is  the  only  species  of  bear  in  Canada  ; 
but  towards  the  North  Western  Territory  there  are 
three  other  kinds,  the  white,  the  brown,  and  the  yel- 
low. The  white  bear  is  one  of  the  fiercest  animals 
in  existence.  They  never  show  mercy  to  any  liv- 
ing creature,  not  even  to  their  own  species  amongst 
tl^e  male  kind,  for  whenever  they  meet,  one  if  not 
both  is  sure  to  die,  and  hence  their  scarcity.  The 
yellow  bear  is  ftlso  very  scarce;  the  coat  of  the  yel- 


h 


CANADA    AS    IT    18. 


55 


low  boar  is  supposed  to  be  tbe  finest  hair  in  the 
world. 

Canada  produces  three  kinds  of  deer, — the  red, 
which  is  the  most  conimonf  the  fallow,  and  the 
moose  deer  ;  the  last  is  a  most  extraordinary  ani- 
mal, and  not  frequently  mot  with ; — it  is  of  such  an 
enormous  height,  that  a  horse  of  sixteen  hands  high 
could  easily  walk  under  its  neck  ;  it  seldom  goes 
out  of  a  walking  pace,  which  is  as  fast  as  any  other 
animals  trot,  and  its  legs  are  so  long,  that  it  could 
with  ease  step  over  a  five  barred  gate,  but  its  neck 
is  so  short  that  it  cannot  graze,  but  subsists  by 
browsing,  chiefly  on  the  ntoose  wood  (whence  it 
derives  its  name)  neither  can  it  drink  in  a  stand- 
ing posture,  but  is  obliged  to  kneel  for  the  water. 
The  bark  of  the  moose  wood  is  so  strong  that 
the  Indians  use  it  for  all  sorts  of  purposes,  it  is  an 
excellent  substitute  fur  rope  and  string,  and  is 
sometimes  used  by  the  settlers  as  traces  for  horses. 
The  red  deer  are  very  numerous,  and  when  fat 
generally  weigh  about  two  hundred  pounds ;  from 
the  month  of  August  till  Christmas  they  are  good, 
and  afford  in  the  autumn  excellent  sport  in  hunting. 
When  started  by  the  dogs,  they  invariably  fly  to  the 
nearest  river  or  lake,  where  some  of  the  J  party  are 
ready  with  a  canoe,  so  that  when  it  plunges  in  the 
water,  they  may  paddle   after  and  shoot  it.     It  is 

E4 


56 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


m      \ 


h 


surprising  that  these  deer  are  so  numerous  consid- 
ering the  quantity  of  wolves  prowling  about  the 
forests. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  wild  fruit,  such  as 
raspberries,  stvawberries  and  plums  on  the  northern 
side  of  Upper  Canada,   the  two  first  grow  very 
plentifully  and  are  excellent,  the  red   raspberiy 
equals  in  size  and  flavour  that  produced  in  Eng- 
land, yet  might  it  be  termed  the  weed  of  this  coun- 
try, the  black  raspberry  makes  an  excellent  pre- 
serve :  there  are  also  wild  black  currants  which 
are   very  good,  and  gooseberries,  but  these  are 
small  and  have  no  flaifour :  the  currant  is  not  a 
native  of  this  country,  but  grows,  when  brought  here 
to  a  large  size.     It  is  advisable  for  the  emigrant  to 
bring  different  kinds  of  fruit  trees. 

The  wild  pigeons,  from  May  to  August,  are: 
generally  very  numerous,  and  are  excellent  eating: 
they  arc  about  the  size  of  the  blue  rock  pigeon,  and": 
the  cock-bird  is  much  the  same  colour.  Wild 
fruit  is  their  principal  food,  but  some  seasons  when< 
they  are  very  numerous,  they  consume  a  great 
deal  of  grain  :  they  arrive  in  immense  flocks  and 
are  supposed  to  come  some  thousands  of  miles, 
crossing  lakes  two  or  three  hundred  miles  wide  : 
such  is  the  instinct  of  these  birds^,  that  after 
the  first  flock  hayr  remainetl  about  a  month 
tliov  loavo  i'(H   thf'ir  nwrscMiofs,    whore  thri    hatch 


•vx.  -..A. 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


57 


)nsid- 
it  the 


3t,  are: 
sating: 
•n,  and": 
Wild 
i  when 
great 
(8  and 
milest 
wide : 
after 
month 
hatrb 


t 


their  young,  and  are  soon  afler  succeeded  by  others 
in  succession  continuing  thus  throughout  the  sea- 
son, following  precisely  the  same  course,  though 
at  afi  immense  distance  through  uncleared  forests, 
aud  over  trackless  lakes. 

There  are  a  great  quantity  of  frogs  in  Canada  ; 
they  are  the  ^est  bait  for  fish  that  can  be  had, 
particularly  the  green  frog.  The  bull  frog  is  an 
extraordinary  little  animal,  on  account  of  the  great 
noise  it  makes,  which  very  much  resembles  the 
bellowing  of  a  bull. 

Many  of  the  French  Canadians  eat  this  animal, 
which  is  found  to  be  a  wholesome  and  nutritious 
food,  when  people  can  banish  their  prejudices. 

The  mosquitoes  are  the  most  annoying  of  all  in- 
jects ;  it  is  a  small  fly,  very  much  resembling  the 
gnat  which  is  oflen  met  with  in  England ;  the 
sting  is  very  sharp,  and  occasions  a  blister  particu- 
larly to  new  comers ;  they  generally  come  here 
^out  the  middle  of  May,  afler  they  have  remained 
upmolested  for  about  a  month,  comes  their  natural 
epemy  the  OQiusquito  hawk,  an  insect  resembling 
the  hornet  in  shape,  they  pursue  the  mosquito  in- 
cessantly and  devour  it,  so  that  afler  this  hawk  ap- 
pears, the  mosquito  is  seldom  very  troublesome. 

Jt  is  commpn  where  they  are  very  numerous,  to 

see  a  large  smudge  made  in  the  farm  yards,  around 

E5 


u 


58 


CANADA     AS    IT    IS. 


which  the  cattle,  (which  are  also  greatly  tormented 
by  them)  will  arrange  themselves  in  order  to  rid 
themselves  of  these  annoying  flies ;  and  it  is  quite 
necessary,  prior  to  retiring  to  rest,  to  make  a  smoke 
in  doors,  in  order  to  eject  them  from  the  house. 

It  is  highly  gratifying  to  pay  a  visit  to  an  industri- 
ous new  settler,  after  he  has  been  two  or  three  years 
on  his  land, — to  partake  of  his  humble,  yet  whole- 
some fare,  particularly  should  he  be  blessed  with 
a  help-mate,  of  those  neat  and  cleanly  habits,  which 
always  impart  an  air  of  comfort  even  to  the  most 
humble  dwelling.  See  him  at  his  morning  meaf, — 
the  clean  white  deal  table,  the  plentiful  supply  of 
ham,  the  ample  dish  of  potatoes,  the  hearth-baked 
bread,  the  pitcher  of  new  milk,  the  maple  sugar, 
with  the  addition  of  tea ;  and  \nth  the  exception  of 
the  tea,  all  the  produce  of  his  little  new  farm. 

Unfortunately  this  is  not  always  the  case;  people 
of  indolent,  dirty  habits,  are  comfortable  under  no 
circumstances,  and  in  no  country ;  but  if  a  man  be 
only  industrious,  even  if  he  have  no  knov.  ledge 
of  agriculture  whatever,  he  must  succeed ;  and 
every  necessary  comfort  is  within  his  reach.  , 

In  sailing  down  the  river  in  the  summer  season, 
from  the  Chats  to  By-town,  what  numerous  objects 
of  interest  present  themselves,*-to  the  rear  are  the 
beautiful  falls  at  the  Chats,  its  widely  extended 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


69 


lented 
to  rid 

quite 
smoke 
se. 
lustri- 

years 
ivhole- 
d  with 

which 
Q-  most 
leal, — 
ppfy  of 
-baked 

sugar, 
»tion  of 
I. 

people 
ider  no 
man  be 
r;/*edge 
d;  and 
1. 
season, 

objects 

are  the 
xtended 


bays  studded  with  islands ;  on  one  side  are  the 
bold  heights  covered  with  forest  trees  with  their 
splendid  foliage  :  on  the  other,  and  in  the  distance 
is  seen  the  cragged  tree  topped  mountain  rearing 
its  head  above  the  clouds ;  in  front  appears  the 
stately  flowing  stream,  the  Ottawa,  with  ever  and 
anon  the  lightly,  gliding,  gay  canoe ;  and  every 
now.  and  then  a  small  opening  discovers  a  neat 
little  dwelling,  with  its  curling  smoke  just  emerg- 
ing from  between  the  trees. 

All  must  acknowledge  the  beauty  and  sublimity 
of  the  Alps,  the  stupendous  grandeur  of  Niagara, 
but  the  diversified  and  interesting  scenery  of  the 
Ottawa  must  not  be  denied.  The  upper  town  of 
By-town  contains  many  neat  houses  in  the  cottage 
style ;  there  is  one  handsome  stone  building  of 
large  dimensions,  with  numerous  out  offices,  the 
occupier  of  which  deseives  mention.  He  is  a 
native  of  Ireland,  and  came  a  pc:  r  emigrant  to 
Canada  some  eight  or  ten  years  ago :  a  year  or 
two  before  the  Rideau  canal  was  made,  he  pur- 
chased a  lot  of  land  of  one  Lindred  acres  for  a 
very  small  sum  of  money,  which  is  now  the  site  of 
By-town,  some  of  the  government  buildings,  and  a 
part  of  the  canal.  This  person  has  already  real- 
ized a  handsome  fortune  ;  but  by  selling  out  parts 
of  his  land  in  buildinff  lots  f«>i  short  terms,  lie  will. 


f  H^ 


m 


60 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


11^ 

13' 


in  a  few  years,  be  iv  the  receipt  of  a  considerable 
income  arising  from  those  r^nts.  Upper  By-town 
is  at  a  very  great  elevation,  overlooking  an  im- 
mense tract  of  land,  and  is  perfectly  distinct  from 
the  lower  tovn,  the  canal  passing  between  them, 
over  which  is  now  erected  a  neat  stone  bridge. 

By-town  is  now  quite  a  lively,  fashionable 
place  ;  here  are  to  be  seen  the  European  fashions, 
silks  vieing  with  muslins,  the  poke  bonnet  with  the 
immense  leghorn.  Here  are  quadrille  parties,  and  ^ 
Scotch  reel  parties,  and  many  other  parties  where 
mirth  usuall}  presides.  There  are  now  many  re- 
spectable mech9.nics  and  tradesmen  established 
here  t  emigration  has  in  some  degree  flowed  to 
this  part  of  the  Provir  ce  for  thete  last  few  years, 
and  it  has  the  appean  ice  <jf  much  bustle  and  ani- 
mation ;  from  the  gr  ^^t  number  of  men  employed 
on  the  canal  by  g'>7ernment  contractors,  it  re- 
quires pretty  strict  discipline  to  keep  them  all  in 
order, — there  is  something  like  a  mutiny  every 
now  and  then  breaking  out  amongst  them ;  and 
on  the  whole,  Col.  By  has  certainly  no  sinecure. 
The  government  pays  three  shillings  a  day  to  each 
man,  on  which  they  might  live  very  well  and  save 
money,  where  provisions  arc  to  be  bought  so  cheap 
as  they  arc  here ;  most  of  them  have  their  own 
little  cabins  to  live  in,  with  a  plot  of  ground  to 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


61 


each,  enough  to  grow  potatoes  sufficient  for  their 
own  consumption,  which  is  a  consideration  of 
some  importance  to  them.  Such  a  mart  has  By- 
town  already,  that  in  the  winter,  when  sleighing  is 
good,  the  place  is  thronged  by  the  country  people, 
bringing  their  various  produce  to  dispose  of,  and 
at  this  time  of  the  year  provisions  are  particularly 
cheap.  Fresh  pork  at  five  or  six  dollars  a  hun- 
dred, beef  at  five  dollars,  mutton  about  three  shil- 
ings  a  quarter,  and  poultry  of  all  kinds  very  plenty 
and  cheap.  The  living  at  taverns  is  high,  con- 
sidering the  cheap  rate  of  provisions :  a  dollar  a 
day  is  the  usual  charge.  There  are  abundance  of 
them  opened,  but  so  few  are  kept  in  any  decent 
order,  that  a  respectable  pbisun  cannot  reconcile 
hlnself  to  their  accommodations. 

New  houses  are  appearing  in  all  directions  about 
By-town,  and  the  lands  for  some  miles  are  gradu- 
ally taken  up  and  settled  on.  It  is  a  matter  of  no 
ordinary  difficulty  after  a  lot  of  land  in  the  bush  has 
been  purchased,  to  find  out  where  it  is  situated;  for 
tho'  there  are  diagrams  explaining  the  numbers  and 
situation,  with  other  particulars  of  the  different  lots, 
yet  this  lot  might  chance  to  be  situated  some  eight 
or  ten  miles  in  the  forest ;  and  did  there  not  hap- 
pen to  be  settled  every  here  and  there  a  person 
well  acquainted  with  the  lay  of  the  country,  new 


;l 


62 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


t       V,- 


comers  would  never  of  themselves  bo  ublo  to  find 
out  their  diflerent  portions.  They  are  all  survey- 
ed, and  posts  are  put  up  at  the  corners  of  the  dif- 
ferent lots,  denoting  their  numbers  ;  but  to  an  utter 
stranger,  these  landmarks  are  of  but  little  use,  par- 
ticularly m  trackless  forests.  The  woods,  even  to 
persons  who  have  long  been  settled  in  this  coun- 
try, are  very  treacherous,  but  not  to  the  native  born 
American,  who  seems  to  have  a  kind  of  instinct  in 
M:        finding  his  way  in  the  untrodden  bush. 

The  success  generally  attending  American  set- 
tiers  is  in  a  great  measure  to  be  attributed  to  the 
manner  in  which  they  are  brought  up  by  their  pa- 
rents, and  their  customs  in  this  respect  as  regards 
both  sexes,  are  not  altogether  unworthy  our  imita- 
tion :  habits  of  practical  industry  are  early  instilled 
in  the  minds  of  the  children,  paying  at  the  same 
time  a  propef  attention  lo  an  useful  education  ;  for 
it  is  evident  that  the  schoolmaster  has  been,  and  is 
now  abroad  in  the  United  States  :  their  manners, 
it  is  true,  are  not  so  polished, — there  is  not  that 
outward  show  of  civility  that  is  recognized  in  most 
parts  of  Europe  ;  they  have  certainly  their  peculiar- 
ities, strange  expressions,  quaint  remarks,  but  so 
have  iiiost  other  countries.  In  forming  a  criterion 
for  the  education  ci  children,  a  due  regard  should 
be  had  to  the  habits  of  the  country  in  which  they 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


63 


are  brought  up ;  in  Europe  such  is  the  refined 
state  of  society,  and  the  superabundance  of  persons 
in  the  lower  ranks  of  life,  that  the  industry  of  the 
higher  or  even  the  middle  classes  are  scarcely  ever 
called  into  action ;  these  ideas  are  often  import- 
ed here,  and  their  influence  frequently  incapaci- 
tates individuals,  when  left  to  provide  for  themselves, 
from  using  the  proper  means  to  obtain  the  com- 
forts, or  even  the  necessaries  of  life. 

There  is  a  great  difficulty  in  procaring  servants 
here,  independently  of  the  expense  of  keeping  them ; 
in  fact,  labour,  be  it  of  either  sex,  is  the  riches  of 
this  country,  and  persons  coming  out  from  Europe 
if  they  expect  to  succeed,  must  reconcile  themselvs 
to  it.  The  only  servants  a  family  man  should  hire» 
are  men  servants  of  all  work,  instead  of  women 
servants  of  all  work.  Some  of  the  Canadians  are 
extremely  clever  in  turning  their  hands  to  almost 
any  thing. 

There  is  a  system  adopted  in  various  parts  of 
Canada,  particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mont- 
real and  other  large  towns,  of  letting  farms  out  upon 
shares  ;  gentlemen  of  opulence  in  the  towns  and 
other  places  very  often  let  out  their  farms  upon 
those  terms,  and  it  is  a  very  good  plan  for  a  new 
comer  to  embrace  these  opportunities  if  he  can  ; 
it  gives  him  an  experience  in  the  custom  of  the 
country,  and  particularly  if  ho  have  no  property 


64 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


of  his  own,  offers  him  the  means  of  acquiring  a  lit- 
tie  to  commence  with  on  his  own  account :  the 
owner  of  the  farm  provides  stock,  farming  utensils 
and  seed  to  crop  his  land  for  the  first  year,  there 
are  no  wages  paid  of  course,  the  tenant  does  either 
by  himself  or  with  assistance,  all  the  labor  of  the 
farm,  in  return  for  which  he  gets  his  half  of  the 
crop,  half  of  the  stock  bred  on  the  farm,  (the  ori- 
ginal stock  being  retained  by  the  owner,)  this  sys- 
tem is  frequently  of  mutual  benefit ;  farms  are  let 
in  this  manner  from  one  to  three  years  and  so  on. 
It  is  astonishing  with  what  rapidity  a  man's  stock 
might,  with  care  and  attention,  accumulate  in  the 
course  of  a  few  years  :  as  an  instance,  a  man 
commenced  with  the  following  supply  of  stock ; 
two  ewes  and  a  ram,  one  cow,  one  mare,  and  one 
sow,  he  neither  killed  or  sold  any  of  his  sheep,  and 
at  the  expiration  of  five  years  he  had  fifty  three 
sheep  ;  he  had  sold  two  horses  and  had  three  left, 
eight  head  of  horn  cattle,  he  had  killed  a  good  many 
pigs  and  had  plenty  remaining. 

A  farmer's  life  in  Canada,  admitting  that  he  has 
his  share  of  work,  is  not  the  most  irksome  in  the 
world,  and  it  leaves  him  plenty  of  time  for  recrea- 
tion. His  most  busy  time  commences  usually 
about  the  twenty-fifth  of  April,  when  the  snow  and 
ice  are  quite  gone.      He  first  begins  to  plough  his 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


65 


iga  lit- 
it :  the 
utensils 
f,  there 
s  either 
r  of  the 
If  of  the 
[the  ori- 
this  sys- 
}  are  let 
cl  so  on. 
I's  stock 
e  in  the 
a  man 
'  stock ; 
and  one 
eep, and 
ifty  three 
tiree  left, 
>od  many 

at  he  has 
me  in  the 
ir  recrea- 
5  usually 
snow  and 
lough  his 


land,  and  then  to  sow  oats,  barley,  peas,  and  spring 
wiioat  if  he  should  have  occasion.     Indian  corn  is 
the  next  crop,  and  this  should  be  in  by  the  fideenth 
of  May ;  lastly,  potatoes,  which,  after  all,  are  the 
most  important.     They  are  usually  planted  in  hil- 
locks, but  often  with  great  success  in  drills  :  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Montreal  and  other  places,  they 
arc  done  with  less  expense  in  drills  than  hillocks  ; 
they  are  put  into  the  land  quicker,  in  the  first  place, 
and  the  [dough  will  save  hand-hoeing;  they  are 
also  much  more  expeditiously  got  out  of  the  ground 
with  the  plough.     After  the  farmer  has  put  in  all 
Ills  crop,  he  should  then  look  well  to  his  fences ; 
for  it  is  of  no  use  to  crop  the  land  unless  it  is  well 
fenced  also,  it  being  the  custom  in  most  parts  of 
the  province  to  let  the  horned  cattle  range  in  the 
woods  all  the  summer.     This  may  not  be  a  good 
plan,  still  it  is  one  of  expediency,  for  many  a  new 
settler,  who  has  a  cow,  has  probably  no  pasture  for 
her  for  the  first  year  or  two.      The  farmer's  crop 
being  all  in  the  land,  and  his  fences  well  secured^ 
he  may  now  rest  a  while  from  his  labours  ;  shoot 
pigeons,  which  are  generally  very  plenty  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  fish,  visit  his  friends,  or  amuse 
himself  as  best  suits  his  inclination,  till  about  the 
Hftcenth  or  twontieth  of  July,  then  his  hay  is  fit  to 
cut.     TTay  should  be  mowed  just  as  the  flower  is 


4 


66 


CANADA    AS    IT    lH. 


leaving  it ;  while  the  sap  is  yet  full,  it  is  the  moal 
profitable  both  for  home  consumption  and  foi  i^ale. 
It  should,  if  possible,  be  cut  one  day,  andhQUl^cd 
or  stacked  the  next ;  for  if  no  rnin  occur,  it  will 
never  heat.  The  idea  of  tho  sap  causing  it  to 
heat,  is  all  a  chimera.  It  is  a  mistaken  notion  to 
dry  hay  too  much  in  the  sun ;  it  is  generally  made 
here  with  little  expense.  Hay  season  over,  in  Au- 
gust his  wheat  and  other  grain  begin  to  ripen,  to 
get  in  which,  will  take  him  till  September.  The 
next  grain  that  he  has  to  look  to,  is  his  Indian  conit 
but  that  takes  only  a  short  time ;  the  husks  are 
merely  torn  off,  and  the  stalks  left  standing,  unless 
they  are  cut  for  fodder,  for  which  they  answer  very 
well,  in  September  the  farmer  ought  to  have  his 
plough  in  his  land,  and  before  the  latter  end  of  this 
month,  if  possible,  get  in  his  fall  wheat.  Wheat 
.sown  in  October  generally  does  very  well,  and  even 
in  November  ;  in  fact,  it  is  sometimes  sown  when 
the  frost  and  snow  have  clotted  the  earth,  so  as  to 
be  hardly  broken  with  the  harrow,  and  has  yet  been 
a  good  crop  ;  but  this  is  neither  so  good  nor  safe  a 
mode  as  preparing  the  ground  in  September.  His 
harvest  being  done*  and  his  winter  crop  sown,  the 
farmer  is  not  now  greatly  pressed  for  time  ;  still, 
he  may  generally  find  something  to  do  to  keep  him 
out  of  idleness.     In  October  his  potatoes  will  be 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


67 


ic  mual 

hoiused 
,  it  will 
)g  it  to 
otion  to 
ly  made 
r,  in  Au- 
:ipen,  to 
•.      The 
ian  corn? 
isks  are 
g,  unless 
wer  very 
have  his 
d  of  this 
Wheat 
and  even 
wn  when 
so  as  to 
yet  been 
or  safe  a 
>er.     His 
own,  the 
me;  still, 
keep  him 
s  will  be 


(it  to  take  out  of  the  ground,  when  they  should  be 
either  well  secured  in  his  cellar,  root-house,  or  in 
pits  in  the  field.  A  root-house  is  a  very  necessary 
place  to  keep  vegetables  in  for  winter  consumption. 
It  is  a  long  room  or  hole  dug  pretty  deep  in  the 
earth,  a  double  tier  of  logs  round  the  sides,  the  va- 
cuity being  well  filled  with  earth,  and  also  the  roof 
well  covered  with  a  doul)lc  layer  of  logs  and  earth, 
so  as  not  to  admit  the  least  ai'  ^  light.  This  pre- 
caution is  necessary  to  keep  <  -ost,  which  is 
most  penetrating.  The  ext  ^verity  of  the^ 
frost  in  Canada  in  the  winter  is  almost  incredible, 
for  it  frequently  freezes  the  nose  and  ears.  The 
usual  method,  when  one  person  meets  another  in 
this  predicament,  if.  to  take  up  some  snow  and  rub 
the  affeted  part  till  is  restored  the  circulation  of  the 
blood,  for  the  frozen  persons  themselves  feel  no 
pain  whatever.  I  have  sat  by  the  fire-side  when, 
while  the  sap  has  been  oozing  out  at  the  ends  of 
the  wood  then  burning  in  the  fire,  it  has  been  in- 
stantly frozen  hard.  In  taking  tea,  the  cups,  and 
saucers,  tea-pot  and  all,  frequently  freeze  to  the 
table.  However,  with  due  precaution,  potatoes 
and  other  roots  and  vegetables  might  be  well  se- 
cured through  the  winter.  If  the  farmer  have  any 
new  land  to  clear,  October  is  a  good  time  to  begin 
to  under-brush  and  chop  ;  he  can  also  spare  a  day 


i 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


as  WIST  MAIN  STRHT 

WnSTIR,N.Y.  145M 

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68 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


now  and  then  for  hunting,  if  his  inclination  be  that 
way  bent.  In  November  he  ought  to  look  out  for 
his  winter's  stock  of  fire- wood,  which  is  a  matter 
of  some  importance  in  Canada.  It  is  by  far  the 
most  desirable  plan  every  year  to  lay  up  a  year's 
stock  of  fire-wood  before-hand,  for  green  wood  ta- 
ken to  burn,  moulders  away,  and  does  not  give  that 
heat  which  is  derived  from  wood  that  has  been  laid 
by  for  some  time;  the  ashes  that  a  family  will 
make  through  the  season,  is  of  some  consequence; 
a  shed  should  be  erected,  not  too  near  the  dwelling, 
tn  case  of  fire,  but  at  a  convenient  distance,  to  keep 
the  ashes  thoroughly  dry,  and  many  dollars  woukl 
accumulate  in  the  course  of  a  year.  In  Novem- 
ber, the  snow  usually  commences,  then  the  farmer 
has  to  look  out  for  good  winter  quarters  for  his 
cattle,  and  also  to  see  that  his  own  dwelling  is  Well 
tiled  in,  get  all  his  vegetables  out  of  the  ground, 
and  have  a  plenty  of  grain  ground,  for  many  of  the 
mills  are  stopped  during  the  winter  months,  from 
the  severity  of  the  frost.  November  is  generally 
the  slaughtering  month;  some  sheep  are  killed, 
and  are  hung  up  to  freeze  for  the  winter  supply, 
and  pigs,  beef,  &c.  December  is  frequently  an 
open  month,  till  Christmas,  and  the  farmer  might 
keep  on  with  his  under-brushing  and  chopping  till 
after  he  has  eaten  his  Christmas  dinner.      The 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


m 


snow  getting  sufficieDtly  deep,  and  the  rivers  freez- 
ing hard,  sleighing  generally  begins.  Now  is  the 
time  to  get  the  sleighs  and  harness  in  proper  order, 
or  this  is  the  season  for  the  settler  who  happens  to 
have  no  good  summer's  road  to  his  residence*  to 
take  what  produce  he  may  have  to  spare  to  market. 

The  houses  at  this  season  of  the  year  are  kept 
very  warm  and  comfortable,  by  means  of  stoves, 
particularly  the  large  double  ones.  Those  stoves 
are  fixed  so  that  one  will  warm  two  rooms,  and  the 
pipes  aie  so  arranged  as  to  give  considerable  heat 
to  the  upper  parts  of  the  houses.  In  the  lower 
province  particularly,  the  houses  in  the  winter  are 
kept  so  hot,  as  to  be  almost  suffocating^  and  fre- 
quently accidents  occur  from  persons  not  being 
aware  of  the  heat  of  their  stoves. 

In  January  the  ice  begins  to  be  of  a  proper 
thickness  to  bear  a  load  with  safety.  The  method 
adopted  here,  in  order  to  ascertain  if  it  be  of  a  pro- 
per thickness  to  bear  a  horse  with  sleigh  and  load, 
is  to  take  a  good  sharp  axe  and  to' strike  ittinto  the 
ice  with  all  your  might  at  one  single  blow,  and  if 
you  penetrate  to  the  water,  it  is  considered  not  safe 
enough  to  travel  on  "with  a  load,  but  if  no  water 
gushes  out,  it  might  then  be  trusted.  It  is  extreme- 
ly pleasant  to  travel  on  the  ice,  the  horses  being 

well  corked,  will  trot  along  at  great  speed,  and  with 

F2 


is 


70 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


perfect  safety ;  and  where  it  happens  to  be  a  road 
well  frequented,  the  tinkling  of  the  bells,  the  speed 
of  the  horses,  and  the  variety  of  the  vehicles,  give 
it  an  air  of  great  gaiety.  It  is  delightful  to  travel 
on  the  ice  on  a  line  moon-light  night ;  for  although 
it  freezes  harder  at  night  than  in  the  day,  yet  from 
there  being  generally  little  or  no  wind,  the  cold  is 
not  nearly  so  much  felt;  the  greatest  danger  is  being 
caught  in  a  snow-storm.  It  is  a  custom  in  the  win- 
ter to  make,  or  rather  plant  roads  on  the  ice;  it  is 
done  when  the  ice  first  takes,  by  collecting  a  quan- 
tity of  green  brush,  the  branches  of  the  fir  and  ce- 
dar trees,  making  holes  in  the  ice,  and  planting  this 
brush  in  groves  across  the  ice  to  any  given  place; 
it  thus  serves  for  a  road  all  the  winder.  At  differ- 
ent places,  both  on  the  St.  Lawrence  and  on  the 
Ottawa,  you  will  see  these  roads  continuing  for 
miles,  and  are  of  the  greatest  utility.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  travelling  about,  the  farmer  has  little  to 
do  now,  besides  feeding  his  stock.  Nothing  is  to 
be  seen  but  the  tops  of  *'  i  fences ;  and  the  build- 
ings, and  sometimes  fonc  and  all,  are  totally  buri- 
ed in  the  snow.  Winter  has  now  assumed  her 
wonted  stillness — all  in  the  forest  is  silent  as  the 
tomb — not  a  bird — not  a  sound — not  a  creature, 
is  now  to  be  seen  or  heard — not  even  a  leaf  to  rus- 
tle on  the  trees — it  is  now  the  midnight  of  nature's 
slumbers. 


1^1       <?1 

0- 


'  I 


CANADA    AS    iT    IS. 


71 


The  farmers'  occupation  in  February,  will  be 
found  much  the  same  as  in  the  preceding  month, 
attending  his  cattle,  chopping  fire-wood,  and  taking 
to  market  Here  it  would  be  well  to  observe  upon 
the  prudence  of  the  Farmers'  keeping  altogether 
out  of  debt  with  the  merchants  or  innkeepers.  It 
is  too  often  the  case  with  the  young  farmer  to  ob- 
tain goods  upon  the  faith  of  his  forth-coming  crop. 
This  is  a  system  of  thraldom  that  frequently  keeps 
him  in  debt  for  years,  for  while  he  gets  his  sup- 
plies upon  credit,  there  is  not  the  same  provi- 
dential management  over  his  out  goings.  But 
when  a  man  takes  no  credit,  but  pays  for  his  goods 
as  he  gets  them,  he  will  feel  the  necessity  of  keep- 
ing within  due  bounds,  besides  the  consideration 
that  at  the  end  of  seven  years  he  will  be  a  consid- 
erable gainer.  For  where  he  buys  for  the  ready 
cash,  he  will  purchase  considerably  cheaper. 

March  is  reckoned  the  last  month  of  sleighing, 
though  the  ice  is  generally  good  through  the  whole 
of  this  month;  towards  the  latter  end  of  March 
some  remote  symtoms  of  spring  begin  to  develope 
themselves. 

The  severity  of  the  winter  now  begins  to  relax  a 

little.     Passing  through  the  Forests  you  will  now 

and  then  hear  a  tree  crack  from  the  effects  of  the 

thaw,  as  if  it  were  the  report  of  a  gun  ;  this  is  the 

F3 


% 


, 


'#' 


72 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


time  to  begin  making  sugar  from  the  maple  tree, 
when  the  sap  first  begins  to  rise.  The  ice  on  the 
river  now  gives  way,  and  the  confined  air  finding 
vent  thro'  the  crevices  of  the  thawing  ice,  explodes 
and  produces  a  rumbling  noise  much  resembling 
distant  thunder.  The  cattle  yet  require  their  con- 
stant supply  of  fodder,  for  there  is  no  green  food 
for  some  little  time  yet,  and  when  the  snow  leaves 
the  grass  it  has  at  first  a  dead  rusty  hue,  but  when 
once  vegetation  begins  to  spring,  the  rapidity  of 
change  is  beyond  conception.  Towards  the  mid- 
dle of  April  the  change  in  the  season  becomes  visi- 
ble, and  the  approach  of  spring  is  hailed  with  feel- 
ings of  pleasure  and  delight.  The  plough  and  the 
harrow  now  begin  to  be  thought  of,  and  the  farmer 
roust  make  up  his  mind  to  labour  and  assiduity. 

The  manufacture  of  the  maple  sugar  is  very 
similar  to  the  process  of  making  potash,  the  one 
being  by  evaporation  of  the  water  from  the  ley, 
— ^the  other  by  the  evaporation  of  the  liquid 
from  the  essence  of  the  maple  sap.  Proportiona- 
ble to  the  quantity  of  sugar  intended  to  be  made,  a 
number  of  small  troughs  are  prepared,  each  of  which 
will  collect  sufBcient  sap  in  the  season  to  make  one 
pound  of  sugar.  Those  troughs  are  made  simply 
by  splitting  a  small  tree  and  cutting  it  up  into  con- 
venient lengths  r — thus  supposing  it  is  intended  to 


CANADA    AS   IT   IS. 


•rs 


imtkA  200  pouiids,  of  course  so  many  troughs 
MTO  provided ;.  having  collected  the  sep,  which 
is  done  by  placing  a  trough  under  each  maple  tree 
in  which  a  notch  is  cut,  out  of  which  the  sap  oozes ; 
a  amall  flat  stick  is  first  placed  to  convey  the  sap 
into  the  trough,  and  every  morning  thai  it  continues 
ninning  it  is  collected  and  reserved  in  a  large  cask* 
Having  collected  the  sap,  boiling  commences,  and 
«eatimies  until  it  is  reduced  to  the  consistency  of 
Ittgar. 

There  are  two  ways  from  By-town  to  Kingston ; 
the  one  by  the  line  of  the  Rideau  canal ;  Uie  other, 
which  is  now  calM  the  old  rot^^  by  way  of  Richf 
nond  and  Perth^— and  tbrougli  a  line  ^tolerably 
wett  settled  townships.  Yery  soon  after  leaving 
By-town,  on  the  Kichmond  road«  evident  diarac- 
lerkstics  of  the  establishment  of  a  country  recently 
esAled  into  existence  by  the  hand  of  industry  and 
perseverance,  begin  to  make  their  appearance : 
the  sturdy  forest  bends  beneath  the  stroke  of  the 
vigorous  axe, — the  empire  of  solitude  and  silence 
yields  up  their  dominion  to  life  and  animation,— 
and  the  hum  of  industry  is  heard. 

Such,  doubtless,  was  the  state  of  our  parent 

^tninfry,  in  the  remote  ages  of  the  world ;  but  to 

remain  in  the  torpid  state  of  nature  could  never  be 

the  intention  of  our  Creator.     He  gives  to  his 

F4 


74 


CANADA    AS    If    11^. 


creatures  a  land  for  their  inheritance, — but  to  man 
he  eaysi  ^*  by  the  sweat  of  thy  brow  shalt  thou  eat 
bread  ;"  and  we  are  not  to  confine  the  interpreta- 
tion of  this  sentence  to  the  literal  tilling  of  the  soil, 
but  \n  its  more  general  and  extensive  application. 
The  means  are  given  to  man  whereby  he  may  con- 
vert the  wilderness  into  a  pleasant  country, — 
whereby  he  may  call  into  existence  the  hidden 
treasures  of  the  earth, — render  her  the  means  of 
support  to  the  present  generation, — the  reciprocal 
advantage  to  distant  parts  of  the  world. 
V  Man  was  not  sent  into  the  world  to  be  a  useless 
being, — to  eat  the  fruits  of  the  earth  with  the  view 
only  to  gratify  his  sensual  appetite,  but  to  be  of  set- 
vice  to  his  fellow-creatures, — ^to  render  his  assist^^ 
ance  to  the  general  welfare  of  society, — ^to  eonsi- 
der  the  Mants  of  the  community  as  the  wants  of 
himself, — to  hold  out  by  precept  and  example  the 
practical  good  of  enlarged  benevolence-- '  ^^  * 

Man  neglecting  to  cherish  and  practice  these^ 
ideas,  too  oflen  relapses *into  a  state  of  apathy  and 
indifference, — his  mind  becomes  corroded  with' 
selfish  and  contracted  feelings, — he  lives  but  to* 
himself, — the  mere  being  of  existence. 

Richmond,  distant  from  By-town  about  twenty 
miles,  is  rather  a  swampy,  low  country :  the  road 
to  it  is  distinguished  for  having  many  of  those  rib- 


CANADA    At   IT    18. 


76 


toman 
hou  eat 
erpreta- 
the  soil, 
[ication. 
lay  con- 
intry, — 

hidden 
(leans  of 
ciprocal 

I  useless 
the  view 
e  of  set* 
is  assist-^ 
[o  eonsi- 
wantsof 
mple  the 

ce  these- 
lathy  and 
ded  with. 
iS  but  to« 

t  twenty 

the  road 

hose  rib-» 


M  roadsi  called  (not  inaptly)  corduroy  bridges. 
Thofte  bridges  are  sometimes  a  mile  or  two 
long.  They  are  generally  composed  of  logs  o^ 
oedtr  bud  parallel  at  the  sides  with  the  road,  and 
pther  logs  laid  transversely,  and  resting  their  ends 
on  Uie  tide  logs.  A  few  years  ago  this  road,  par- 
ticultrly  near  Richmond,  was  in  such  a  state  as  to 
be  scarcely  passable ;  but  within  these  three  years 
it  is  very  much  improved,  and  still  continues  to  be 
so ;  and  for  the  traveller  there  is  excellent  accom- 
modation. 

The  lands  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Richmond, 

•re  some  of  the  richest  in  the  Province ;  but  the 

situation  being  rather  low  and  swampy,  it  is  not 

ccnsidered  so  healthy  as  some  other  parts.    The 

Me  Duke  of  Richmond  unfortunately  lost  his  life 

'ssrithin  a  few  miles  of  this  place,  from  the  bite  of  a 

iifbs.    He  intended  Richmond  to  have  been  a  town 

'4)f  considerable  importance ;  here  are  now  to  be 

Jieen  rthe  outlines  of  extensive  eire  'ti!!,    which 

«are  aH  regularly  laid;   numerous  skeletons  of 

large  buildings  are  still  standing;  here  was  to 

liftva  been  n  Cheapside,  there  a  Ludgate  Hill. 

Fleet»street  at  another  place,  and  the  Old  Bailey 

pressing  at  right  angles,  with  a  Snow  Hill  in  the 

€Milre, — though  now  mow  hills  are  not  wanting  at 

tUt  place  iatfae  winter. 

F6 


76 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


Richmond  is  at  the  present  time  a  place  of  ctitt* 
sidcrable  business,  and  the  main  thoroughfare 
through  the  heart  of  this  part  of  Upper  Canada.  It 
will  also  be  benefited  materially  by  the  accom« 
plishment  of  the  Rideau  canal, — it  will  open  a 
navigation  to  the  Ottawa  by  means  of  the  con- 
tinuation of  the  York  river,  (upon  which  Rich- 
mond is  situated)  with  the  Rideau :  thus  the  good 
effects  of  this  great  public  work  are  felt  more  or 
less  in  all  the  surrounding  country. 

In  going  from  Richmond  to  Perth,  the  traveller 
will  pass  through  some  rather  thickly  settled  town- 
ships. The  Rideau  settlement,  between  Rich- 
mond and  Perth,  is  one  of  the  largest  and  best  set- 
tlements within  many  miles ;  it  owes  its  rise  prin- 
cipally to  the  lumber, trade  on  the  Ottawa  river. 
.Before  there  were  any  settlements  on  or  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Ottawa,  the  supplies  of  fod- 
der— hay,  oats,  &c.,  (required  for  getting  out  lum- 
ber) used  to  be  drawn  nearly  all  from  the  Rideau 
settlement,  which  at  that  time  was  their  principal 
market* 

The  next  township  is  Beckwith,'iK^ich  contains 
about  two  thousand  inhabitants ;  among  whom  are 
many  respectable  Scotch  families.  Instances  are 
not  wanting  in  the  township  of  persons  who  came 
out  to  Canada,  not  many  ye^rs  ago,  with  very 


CANADA    AS    IT    18. 


77 


;  -i/: 


scanty  meanai  if  any  at  all — who  are  now  very 
comfortably  situated,  having  good  large  farms, 
pleuty  of  cows,  sheep,  horses,  pigs,  &c.  dtc,  and 
living  in  a  stale  of  great  respectability.  And  it 
may  be  observed,  that  wherever  our  northern  breth- 
ren form  settlements,  there  are  to  be  seen  their 
usual  characteristics  of  industry,  perseverance,  and 
orderly  conduct ;  they  seldom  fail  in  giving  their 
cbildreii  useful  educations,  which  are  the  surest 
means  of  making  them  good  members  of  society. 
.The  only  taxes  known  here  at  present,  are  the 
assess  on  property  of  one  penny  in  the  pound 
which  goes  towards  repairing  the  roads,  and  a  half 
penny  more  to  pay  the  sitting  members  of  the 
House  of  Assembly.  A  man  consequently  having 
a^farm  of  about  fifty  acres  of  cleared  land,  with 
Bfock,  dwelling  house,  &c.,  pays  on  an  average 
;about  a  dollar  and  a  half  per  year.  On  wild  lands 
ta)cen.up,  the  assess  is  very  trifling ;  but  those  who 
take  up  lands  and  neglect  to  improve  them  are 
liable  to  pay  the  assess  on  them.  An  act  was 
passed  in  the  House  of  Assembly  in  the  Upper 
JPxovim^e,  that  where  parties  neglected  to  pay  the 
assessment  on  wild  or  any  other  lands,  for  eight 
years  in  succession,  the  sheriff  of  each  district 
should  be  authorized  to  sell,  annually,  all  such 
l^d^in  arrear,  redeemable  by  the  original  owners 


r 


• 

i 

11 

K 

j 

'Mil! 

■V. 

W 

78 


CANADA    AH    IT    l«« 


ut  any  time  within  one  year  aftor  tho  i«lv#f  tuehr 
^landfl,  by  paying  the  purchaaer  the  purchtte  menie^fv. 
for  any  irtiprovement  he  might  have  made  dorittjif 
the  time  of  hie  possession,  and  twenty  per  tent, 
interest  for  his  capital  laid  out.  Tbisi  act  came 
into  operation  about  a  year  ago*  when  <he^  fihit 
sheriff's  sale  for  arrears  of  assoss  took  ptece ;  and 
in  some  remote  parts  these  lands  have  been  mAi 
for  a  mere  trifle— ^s  Httle  as  three  pence  ||»eir  acrei. 
Thus  fwa  h^mdired  acres  of  probably  exceltettC 
land,  (dthough  in  llie  wilderness,)  for  tW9  poonds 
te^  shiMings  currency. 

The  niexf  township  td  Beckwi^  is  Mtaihyi 
which  is  idffo  in  a  flourishlilg  conditio,  <iimtaiioliiig' 
about  14SO0  inhabitants,  congregated  (Vom  itfl  pMita 
^>f  the  Briash  Kingdom.  This  district  is  r^msrk-^ 
able  ft>r  the  number  <of ,  deer  see*  ftom>  the  road» 
frequently  in  herds  of  twelte  or  sixteen,  wM^h  iw 
unusual,  asi  they  seldom  herd  more  iS^n  Wo  or^ 
three  together.  In  some  particuku*  spcts  ther0i 
are  what  are  termed  deer  licks :  lhese<  ai^  saH 
springs,  of  which  these  animals  are  So  f<mdi  tlMt 
they  flock  to  them  from  all  parts  of  theibresfs^  tttudc 
•aire  there  shot  in  great  numbers  from  a  scaflbldf 
erected  near  the  springs. 

Perth  is  a  Well-built  place  ;    the  h(MiSes  «ns< 
prettj  regularly  laid  out,  many  of  them  large  AmI 


vrrr- 


CANADA    A8    IT    IS. 


n 


handsome ;  the  streets  are  also  laid  out  uniformly. 
The  court-houses  and  church  are  two  spacioui 
brick  buildings  ;  they  stand  on  a  hill  of  considera- 
ble elevation.  Hero  are  mills,  stores,  and  plenty 
of  good  mechanics  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Perth  being  the  district  town,  commands  great 
attention  from  all  parts  of  the  district  of  Bathurst, 
— in  fact,  it  is  quite  the  by-word,  within  a  distance 
of  fiAy  miles,  if  a  person  do  not  settle  an  affiur  or 
an  account,  **  I  will  send  you  to  Perth."  There 
are  many  professional  gentlemen,  retired  officers, 
&c.,  settled  in  and  about  the  town  ;  the  society  is 
respectable,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  sociability 
and  gaiety.  The  taverns  are  superior  to  what 
might  be  expected  from  a  comparatively  small  in- 
land town. 

Perth  seems  destined  to  become  of  considerable 
importance ;  its  situation  is  immediately  in  the 
heart  of  a  flourishing,  well-settled  part  of  the  coun- 
try, and  it  holds  direct  communication  with  two 
good  inland  rivers — the  Mississippi  and  the  Ri- 
deau ;  though  the  latter  will  ere  long  be  converted 
into  a  source  of  navigation  far  superior  to  any  thing 
concemplated  when  Perth  was  first  settled.  There 
is  not  an  inland  town  more  likely  to  derive  great- 
er advantage  from  the  navigation  of  the  Rideau 


\ 


80 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


canal,  than  Perth — with  its  gradual  accession  of 
settlers,  the  rapid  opening  of  the  country  in  its 
immediate  neighborhood,  and  hence  the  improve- 
ment of  the  roads  and  means  of  communication. 
Independent  of  these  considerations,  so  long  as 
the  judicial  business  of  the  district  is  transacted 
here,  it  must,  in  a  great  measure,  be  a  place  of 
pre-eminence.  Such  has  been  the  increased  set- 
tlement of  the  Bathurst  district  within  the  last  ten 
years»  that  cases  of  some  importance  and  magni- 
tude are  frequently  brought  before  the  judicial 
authorities  at  the  Perth  assizes.  The  young 
country  is  governed  by  a  code  of  kiws  granted  by 
its  parent  state,  the  fundamental  principles  of 
which  breathe  more  of  the  true  spirit  of  liberty  to 
the  subject,  than  any  government  on  earth.  But 
the  greatest  of  all  blessings  to  a  British  subject, 
is  that  safeguard  of  inestimable  value  to  the  pro- 
tection of  his  person  and  property,  and  ever  to  be 
held  one  of  her  most  sacred  rights — namely,  trial 
by  jury.  This  is  a  right  guarantied  to  every 
British  subject, — a  right  that  he  watches  over  with 
as  jealous  an  eye  as  the  possession  of  his  paternal 
estate.  In  fact,  it  is  one  of  the  principal  compacts 
that  binds  king  and  people  :  it  does  unfortunately 
happen,  that  in  some  particular  situations,  persons 
are  called  on  to  exercise  the  all-important  duty  of 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


81 


jurors,  who  from  former  habits  of  life,  or  want  of 
education,  are  rendered  incapable  of  forming  with- 
in their  own  minds  correct  ideas  of  the  merits  of 
various  cases  submitted  to  their  consideration.  Is 
it  not  doubtful  whether  there  are  not  a  class  of 
men,  who  from  the  above  causes  are  too  often  led 
astray  by  the  sophistry  of  counsel  on  one  side,  and 
from  an  undue  bias  in  their  own  minds  on  the 
other.  The  causes  are  not  to  be  wondered  at,  if 
we  consider  for  a  moment  the  sphere  of  life,  in 
which  some  persons  who  are  now  freeholders  of 
the  soil  of  Upper  Canada  have  been  brought  up,— ^ 
and  their  inabilities  to  discharge  those  functions ; 
they  themselves  feel  as  acutely  as  any  party ;  they 
have  been  reared  by  parents  who  are  generally  in 
too  poor  a  condition  of  life  to  give  them  the  least 
education,  and  whose  utmost  stretch  is  to  be  ena- 
bled to  supply  their  families  with  food  and  clothing; 
their  children  are  literally  brought  up  in  ignorance 
and  darkness  ; — and  is  it,  then,  suprising  that  ihifi 
class  of  persons,  (here  metamorphosed  into  the 
freeholders  of  the  soil,)  should  be  incapable  of 
performing  duties  requiring  the  aid  of  education, 
and  the  influence  cf  admirable  examples.  There 
are,  then,  in  this  province  some  cases  where  per- 
sons are  called  on  to  exercise  the  important  duty 
of  watching  over  the  lives  and  liberties  of  their 


II 


I 


82 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


fellow  subjects,  who,  from  their  want  of  education, 
are  wholly  incapable  of  duly  discharging  those  du- 
ties ;  however,  it  may  be  hoped,  from  the  general 
encouragement  given  to  education  to  the  rising  ge- 
neration in  this  province,  that  there  will  soon  be  no 
room  for  complaints  on  this  score. 

A  case  was  tried  at  Perth,  not  many  years  ago, 
of  an  assault  that  occurred  somewhere  in  the  dis- 
trict of  Bathurst,  committed  on  a  person  to  whom 
the  offender  was  under  considerable  obligations. 
The  person  on  whom  the  assault  was  committed, 
was  a  man  of  opulence,  the  other  a  poor  man.  It 
was  an  outrageous  and  most  unwarrantable  offence; 
but  the  stumbling-block  in  this  case  was — the 
plaintiff  was  rich,  and  the  defendant  poor ;  and 
though  justice  truly  can  never  see,  yet  it  is  much 
to  be  feared,  that  she  sometimes  endeavours  to 
draw  aside  the  bandage.  In  this  case,  twelve  free- 
holders were  summoned  and  sworn  on  the  jury ; 
the  case  being  closed,  and  left  by  the  highest  au- 
thority in  the  hands  of  the  jury  for  their  verdict, 
there  was  an  evident  difference  of  opinion  amongst 
them.  Foreman — -"  Brother  juryman,  I  think  we 
we  can  soon  come  to  a  conclusion  in  this  case — 
it  appears  to  be  clearly  proved,  that  *  *  *  very 
grossly  assaulted  *  *  *."  Another  juryman — "  I 
perfectly  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Foreman ;  it  appears 


CANADA    AS   IT    18. 


as 


to  me  to  bo  jarly  made  out ;"  but  not  another  of 
these  twelv£»  men  could  or  would  come  to  the  same 
conclusion.  A  juryman — "  By  J s,  what  busi- 
ness have  we  to  bother  our  brains  about  all  that 
them  there  gentlemen  has  been  talking  about  ihese 
two  hours ;  all  their  larned  sayings  is  no  business 
of  ours,  and  so  it  is'nt ;  sure,  mus'nt  we  protect 
this  poor  man  against  the  rich  one  t  Suppose  he 
did  give  the  spalpeen  a  small  taste  of  the  shiilalah, 
sure  it  will  larn  him  how  to  behave  in  future." 
Foreman — *'  But,  brother  juryman,  we  are  on  our 
oaths,  and  it  is  our  sacred  duty  to  do  justice.'' 
Juryman — "  No  more  of  your  insinuations ;  if  we 
was  to  send  this  poor  man  to  prison,  I  should  ne- 
ver forgive  myself,  and  so  I  should'nt ;  and  I  say 
we  have  nothing  to  say  against  him."  All  the  rest 
sturdily  concurring  in  this  opinion,  the  verdict  was 
given  in  favor  of  the  aggressor- — I  believe  very  much 
to  the  surprise  of  most  present — for  certainly  in 
this  instance,  this  invaluable  bulwark  of  our  liber- 
ties was  most  shamefully  abused. 

Perth,  as  centrally  situated,  ought  to  be  consi- 
dered as  the  district  town  for  the  several  townships 
within  its  immediate  range,  such  as  Drummond, 
Beck  with,  and  many  more  ;  but  it  is  extremely  in 
convenient  and  expensive  to  the  inhabitants  on  and 
near  the  Ottawa,  a  distance  of  more  than  fifty 


'( 


n 


84 


CANADA    AS    IT    18. 


miles,  that  they  should  have  to  travel  thus  far  at  all 
times  of  the  year,  to  transact  any  petty  law  pro- 
ceeding that  calls  for  their  personal  attendance. 
By-Town  ought  certainly  be  made  a  separate  dis- 
trict town,  for  that  part  bordering  on  and  near  the 
Ottawa.  It  is  much  to  be  desired  that  the  pre- 
sent sitting  member  should  use  his  influence  in  en- 
deavouring to  procure  such  a  regulation ;  but  in 
addition  to  the  influence  of  the  present  member, 
the  county  of  Carleton  having  by  its  now  increased 
ratio  of  population,  come  up  to  the  standard  which 
gives  a  county  the  right  of  sending  two  members 
to  the  House  of  Assembly,  by  the  next  session, 
return  two  representatives  to  the  Legislature  of  the 
Upper  Province.  The  time  of  election  is  fixed 
for  the  early  part  of  next  winter.  There  are  al- 
ready two  gentlemen  come  forward  as  candidates 
for  the  honor.  The  one  is  a  son  of  Colonel  Burke, 
a  gentleman  well  known  in  the  country,  and  who 
was  very  active  in  the  first  settlement  of  this  part 
of  the  province  ;  the  other  is  Mr.  Pinkey,  a  gen- 
tleman of  independent  property,  now  residing  at 
March;  it  is  therefore  to  be  hoped,  that  with  this 
accession  of  representative  influence,  the  wants  of 
every  part  of  the  county  will  not  be  forgotten. 
Perth  is  a  town  that  seems  to  encourage  within  it- 
self the  means  of  its  own  improvement.  It  appears 


I 


CANADA    AS   ir  I8. 


85 


to  contain  a  good  share  of  public  spirit,  without 
which,  every  place,  however  advantageous  in  situa* 
lion,  soon  sinks  into  insignificance.  It  supports  a 
well  circulated  paper,  called  the  **  Independent 
Examiner  and  Bathurst  District  Advertiser." 

Leaving  Perth,  you  again  plunge  into  the  wilder- 
ness, but  the  axe  is  now  so  busy  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  that  a  visible  change  is  constantly  taking 
place.  You  see  many  little  new  shanties  spring- 
ing up  in  every  direction,  heaps  of  logs  burning  in 
one  place,  gangs  of  men  and  oxen  logging  in  an- 
other, choppers^  busy  in  pursuing  their  laborious 
work,  road  makers  engaged  in  rendering  the  mud^ 
dy  swamp  passable,  an«^  probably  here  and  there 
the  newly  arrived  settler,  together  with  his  world's 
all,  with  a  large  storage  of  broken  and  half-broken 
furniture,  at  first  lost  in  amazement  at  the  extraor- 
dinary change,  from  his  former  scenes  in  life. 
These  are  some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  first 
settlement  of  a  country,  but  as  soon  as  the  settler 
gets  on  his  land,  has  his  shantee  erected,  and  made 
a  little  comfortable,  a  bit  of  land  chopped,  cleared, 
and  under  crop,  his  family  all  around  him,  and  his 
wife  reconciled,  he  soon  gets  familiar  amongst  his 
new  neighbors,  and  with  the  roads  in  his  immediate 
neighbourhood.      He  now  begins  himself  to  be 

thoroughly  reconciled,  and  soon  forgets  most  of 

G 


! 


mi 


86 


CANADA   AS   IT    I& 


the  little  troubles  and  inconveniencies  he  has  had 
to  contend  with. 

After  leaving  Perth  about  ten  or  fifteen  miles, 
the  country  begins  i6  be  remarkably  well  settled. 
There  are  some  veiy  large  and  good  settlements, 
and  the  country  gradually  improves  at  the  nearer 
approach  towards  t^ingston,  which  is  easily  ac- 
counted for.  The  St.  Lawrence  side  of  the  Up- 
per Province  has  been  partially  settled  for  these 
forty  or  fifty  years,  and  the  tide  of  emigration  has 
principally  flown  to  this  part  of  Upper  Canada ;  for 
until  these  four  or  five  years,  the  Ottawa  was 
scarcely  known,  but  to  a  few  persons  who  dealt  in 
furs,  and  to  the  officers  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany. It  is  only  within  these  twelve  years  that  any 
settlement  whatever  was  made  on  the  Upper  Cana- 
da side  bordering  on  the  Ottawa ;  these  are  the 
townships  of  Nepean,  Goulborn,  Hantty,  March, 
Parbolton,  Fitzroy,  and  others ;  the  grand  source 
of  improvement  has  taken  place  within  these 
five  years  in  the  cutting  of  the  Rideau  Canal, 
but  on  the  other  side,  about  Kingston,  are  now  what 
is  termed  the  Old  Settlements  of  the  country. 
There  is  yet  a  vast  tract  of  land  which  appears  to 
have  been  unnoticed  by  those  who  have  had  the 
management  in  first  surveying  and  regulating  the 
gradual   settlement  of  the  Upper  Province.      It 


t.i 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


87 


must  strike  any  person  who  has  ever  been  in  the 
interior  of  the  country,  say  fifly  miles  above  the 
Chats,  and  taking  a  westerly  direction,  that  it  would 
have  been  highly  desirable  to  have  opened  this  part 
of  the  Upper  Province,  considering  that  the  popu- 
lation has  increased  so  rapidly.  Here  are  immense 
tracts  of  fertile  lands,  some  of  them  of  the  best 
quality  laying  dormant.  It  will  be  argued  that  the 
Canada  Company  are  now,  and  have  been  for  some 
time  past,  opening  and  forming  new  settlements  in 
the  Huron  tract ;  granted  they  are — ^but  are  they 
not  beginning  where  they  ought  to  leave  off?  the 
Huron  tract  is  an  insulated  part  of  the  Upper  Ifro- 
vince — its  very  extremity. 

In  settling  a  new  country,  those  parts  should  be 
first  opened  where  the  means  of  communication 
are  most  convenient,  and  also  the  gradual  opening 
of  the  country  should  be  had  in  view,  keeping  the 
line  of  settlements  as  near  together  as  the  nature 
of  the  country  will  admit. 

If  the  part  of  the  province  alluded  to  were  sur- 
veyed and  opened  by  commencing  a  good  road, 
having  its  extremity  on  one  end  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Ontario,  and  the  other  on  the  Ottawa  river, 
it  would  tend  rapidly  to  the  opening  and  settling 
the  very  heart  of  the  Province  of  Upper  Canada ; 

here  would  be  a  comknunication  between  two  navi- 

G2 


1 


I 


88 


CANADA   AS   IT   IS. 


►i. 


gable  waters  of -the  first  magnitude.  The  inter- 
ests of  the  Canada  Company  are  most  intimately 
connected  with  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the 
Province*  and  hence  the  necessity  of  their  pursuing 
bold  and  straight  forward  measures  in  its  settlement 
It  is  useless  to  form  a  few  small  locations  here  and 
there  in  the  remote  districts,  or  to  make  partial 
roads ;  they  should  open  a  large  tract  of  country  at 
once,  and  that  in  the  most  desirable  and  central 
part  of  the  Province.  Wherever  there  are  good 
roads,  there  will  the  settlers  flock ;  but  to  ofkt 
lands  for  sale  where  there  can  be  no  means  of  com- 
munication, is  to  accomplish  a  very  small  portion 
of  the  good  which  is  at  their  command.  It  may  be 
asked,  is  not  the  country  opened  now  from  one  ex- 
tent to  the  other,  by  means  of  the  Rideau  Canal  ? 
But  this  is  by  no  means  the  heart  of  Upper  Cana- 
da ;  neither  ought  any  public  measure  to  stay  the 
operations  of  the  Canada  Company  in  their  systems 
of  improvement  This  immense  work  has  been 
effected  at  the  public  expense,  and  the  Canada 
Company  are  reaping  the  chief  advantages  by  en- 
hancing the  value  and  expediting*  the  sale  of  their 
lands  in  its  immediate  neighbourhood.  Notwith- 
standing the  large  accession  of  settlers  this  season, 
and  those  to  be  expected  in  future,  yet  the  Pro- 
vince will  not  be  settled  as  it  ought,  unless  more 


CANADA    AS   It*  IS. 


89 


< 


liberal  plans  are  adopted  ;  the  company  themselves 
would  reap  tenfold  advantages;  for  where  they 
now  dispose  of  one  thousand  acres  of  land,  they 
might  sell  ten  thousand.     They  are  well  aware 
that  in  a  neighbouring  country,  lands  are  at  all  times 
to  be  had  oheap,  and  there  the  means  of  communi- 
cation are  not  neglected.    Yonge  street  and  other 
places  might  be  instanced,  but  Yonge  street  in  par- 
ticular, and  all  the  road  to  Penetanguishem.  Some 
of  the  best  settlements  in  the  Province  are  on  this 
road,  and  in  its  vicinity.    The  reason  is  obvious  : 
it  is  not  because  the  lands  are  the  best;  for  a  con- 
siderable distance  they  are  very  poor  and  sandy ; 
hut  even  here  they  are  well  settled.     Persons 
would  rather,  and  it  is  better  for  them  to  locate  on 
ordinuiy  lands,  where  there  are  good  roads  and 
means  of  communication,  than  on  the  very  best 
soils,  where  those  conveniencies  are  ''not  to  be 
found.     In  remote  and  isolated  situations)  land  is 
scarcely  worth  accepting. 

The  Canada  Company  is  composed  of  a  body 
lof  men  (the  shareholders  in  London  and  else- 
where,) who  are  utterly  incapable  of  forming  a  just 
opinion  of  the  nature  and  local  wants  of  this  coun- 
try. Their  capital  is  invested,  and  all  they  look  to 
is  a  return  of  interest,  without  duly  considering  the 
nature  of  the  undertaking  in  which  their  capital  is 
/  G3 


90 


CANADA    AS    IT   IS. 


engaged,  or  the  means  most  proper  to  be  adopted 
for  the  furtherance  of  its  prosperity.  They  know 
that  land  is  land  any  where,  and  they  think  that  it 
is  only  to  offer  it  for  sale  to  get  purchasers.  Whe- 
ther the  policy  is  a  good  one  or  not,  of  ever  hav- 
ing delegated  to  any  body  of  men  the  control  over 
such  a  vast  tract  of  territory,  where  the  welfare  and 
interests  of  so  large  a  body  of  his  Majesty's  sub- 
jects are  so  intimately  connected,  time  best  will  tell 
On  the  approach  to  Kingston,  the  country  is 
much  settled  by  natives  from  Ireland,  and  here  the 
character  of  the  Irishman  may  be  seen  to  advan- 
tage ;  he  is  generally  hardy,  patient,  industrious^ 
and  not  intimidated  at  trifles,  and  gets  over  his  first 
difficulties  very  well ;  he  is  likewise  a  quiet  peace- 
able neighbour  and  a  good  subject,  when  his  pas- 
sions are  not  inflamed  with  liquor,  or  his  feelings 
worked  upon  by  the  designing,  and  in  this  distant 
land,  how  much  is  it  to  be  lamented,  that  the  causes 
which  produce  most  of  the  feuds  and  heart- 
burnings in  their  own  country  should  be  kept  up 
and  cherished  here.  If  ther<j  be  the  shadow  of  a 
pretence  for  these  most  invidious  party  feelings  at 
home,  surely  here  they  are  altogether  inexcusable 
and  criminal.  Whether  it  be  on  the  one  side  or 
on  the  other,  whether  these  fends  and  party  ani- 
mosities have  been  cherished  by  the  Irish  Protest- 


or 


I 


CANADA    A8    IT   IS. 


91 


&nt  or  by  the  Irish  Catholic,  let  them  be  banished 
altogether  from  this  hitherto  unpolluted  soil. 

The  country  around  Kingston  is  distinguished 
by  an  evident  superiority  of  the  state  of  agricul- 
ture, here  they  are  large  growers  of  that  staple 
commodity  of  consumption  and  commerce,  wheat, 
a  grain  that  as  long  as  England  continues  her 
present  policy  towards  this  Country  cannot  be 
too  much  encouraged,  not  only  for  exportation 
home  will  it  be  wanted  ;  but  also  for  the  supply 
of  the  northern  river,  for  there  they  are  only  just 
now  emerging  from  the  wilderness ;  if  they  can 
raise  an  acre  or  two  each  kind  of  grain,  it  is  as 
much  as  they  can  do  for  the  first  few  years. 
Wheat  is  certainly  the  best  grain  grown  in  Upper 
Canada,  for  while  both  barley  and  oats  somewhat 
degenerate,  wheat  at  lest  equals  if  not  rather  excels 
the  English  growth. 

Kingston  is  now  fast  recovering  from  the  severe 
check  given  to  her  commercial  prosperity  a  few 
years  ago:  she  is  now  re-establishing  herself  upon 
a  firm  basis,  and  from  her  central  situation  cannot, 
as  long  as  the  Province  continues  to  flourish,  fail 
to  be  a  town  of  considerable  importance.  The 
Rideau  canal  has  been  of  the  utmost  consequence 
to  the  town  ;  and  she  is  likely  to  derive  as  much 
or  more  advantage  from  its  navigation  than  any 

G4 


m 


02 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


other  place  in  the  Province  ; — it  will  be  the  princi- 
pal depot  at  the  head  waters  of  the  canal, — taking 
in  and  storing  all  the  produce  that  will  pass  through 
— coming  down  from  York,  Niagara,  and  all  places 
above,  and  through  the  Welland  canal.  There  can 
be  no  question  but  Kingston  will  ultimately  be  one 
of  the  first  towns  in  Upper  Canada.  It  now  ex- 
ceeds any  other  in  population, — it  commands  a 
delightful  view  of  Lake  Ontario, — the  steam-boats 
passing  and  repassing  between  Prescot  and  Nia- 
gara, all  making  the  port  of  Kingston  in  their  way, 
senders  it  in  the  summer  a  place  of  very  consider- 
able importance  and  activity.  The  troops  more 
or  less  permanently  stationed  here,  likewise  con- 
tribute to  its  gaiety. 

The  site  of  Kingston  is  most  judiciously 
chosen ;  it  is  built  on  the  curve  of  the  Bay.  On 
the  opposite  side  stands  the  Garrison,  commanding 
the  entrance  to  the  town  ;  it  altogether  presents  a 
formidable  front,  and  is  a  plan  that  would  put  to 
the  test  the  strength  of  any  enemy.  The  streets 
which  are  numerous  are  regularly  laid  out,  butting 
on  the  Bay,  and  generally  uniform  and  well  built. 

Kingston  and  the  surrounding  country,  like 
every  other  part  of  the  Province,  are  now  beginning 
to  feel  the  beneficial  effects  of  the  judicious  system 
of  policy  under  which  the  Canadas  have  for  the  last 


CANADA    Af    IT   IS. 


98 


fow  years  flourished.  Prior  to  this  period  the  agri- 
culture* and  consequently  the  commerce  of  the 
country  were  in  a  drooping  state, — the  farmer 
received  no  price  for  his  produce  to  stimulate  him 
to  exertion, — ^he  could  ill  afford  to  purchase  any 
thing  beyond  the  bare  necessaries  of  life,  and 
hardly  those ;  the  storekeeper's  stock  hung  heavy 
on  his  hands ;  hence  the  want  of  punctuality  in 
fulfilling  his  engagements  with  the  merchant,  and 
the  general  want  of  confidence  through  the  whole 
commercial  body.  No  place  felt  the  effects  from 
those  causes  more  severely  than  Kingston.  It 
might  be  said,  why  should  this  country  look  to 
£ngland  for  support  and  protection  to  her  agricul- 
ture and  commerce? for  the   very  strongest 

grounds.  She  is  a  body  politic  as  well  as  a  colo- 
ny,—a  part  and  parcel  of  the  British  Empire.  She 
can  pass  no  laws  of  herself,  with  regard  to  her 
foreign  policy ;  but  as  a  colony,  is  of  course  under 
the  guidance  and  direction  of  laws  emanating  from 
her  parent  state. 

Is  Canada,  when  kept  in  this  state  of  cruel  de- 
pression, likely  to  be  productive  of  those  real  and 
solid  advantages  to  her  parent  state  which  her  now 
prosperous  condition  would  warrant  us  in  antici- 
pating.    A  pampering  and  unsettled  policy  really 

G5 


94 


CANADA    A8    IT    IS. 


operates  in  a  cruel  manner  towards  a  young  and 
rising  country  ; — ^for  a  few  years  she  fancies  her- 
self in  established  prosperity,' — the  man  of  laudable 
ambition  and  enterprize  embarks  his  capital  in  un- 
dertakings of  magnitude, — ^the  agriculturist  goes 
on  with  spirit  and  energy  in  improving  and  culti- 
vating the  soil, — the  commercial  character  specu- 
lates upon  what  he  reasonably  considers  a  firm 
basis, — the  united  prospects  of  every  class  flourish 
for  perhaps  three  or  four  years,  when  a  new  regu- 
lation is  issued  that  gives  an  immediate  check  to 
industry,  ruins  commerce,  and  locks  up  the  very 
channels  of  enterprize  to  every  class  of  persons. 

Canada  wants  a  regular  settled  system  of  poUcy, 
that  she  may  calculate  witli  some  degree  of  cer- 
tainty upon  the  returns  she  is  likely  to  get  for  her 
various  surplus  produce.  Without  this  she  must 
ever  remain  in  that  feverish  uncertain  state  too 
often  observable  in  the  general  commerce  of  this 
country. 

Kingston  has  to  boast  of  some  establishments  in 
its  neighbourhood  of  the  first  consequence ;  these 
are  the  Marmora  Iron  Works  carried  to  a  conside- 
rable extent,  and  produce  some  wareB,  which  for 
texture  and  quality  will  bear  comparison  with  many 
imported  articles  of  a  similar  fabric.     There  are 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


95 


ig  and 

38  her- 

udable 

inun- 

t  goes 

d  culti- 

specu- 

a  firm 

flourish 

w  regu- 

leck  to 

he  very 

sons. 

'policy, 

of  cer- 

for  her 

e  must 

ate  too 

of  this 

lents  in 
;  these 
onside- 
iiich  for 
hmany 
ere  are 


the  Gananouque  Mills,  so  celebrated  for  the  supe- 
rior quality  of  flour  they  manufacture  ;  and  many 
other  establishments  in  the  vicinity  of  this  import- 
ant place  place,  equally  deserving  of  notice. 

On  proceeding  from  Kingston  to  York,  you  keep 
in  view  of  Lake  Ontario  most  of  the  way,  and  have 
to  pass  through  many  very  pleasant  villages,  with 
good  inns,  affording  excellent  accommodations. 
Their  customs  resemble  in  a  great  measure  the 
manners  of  their  opposite  neighbours :  for  instance, 
whether  it  be  at  breakfast,  dinner,  or  supper,  they 
rarely  spread  the  table,  without  putting  on  an  ample 
supply  of  preserves,  such  as  peaches,  plums, 
apples,  &c.  « 

The  first  village  of  any  consequence,  after  leav- 
ing Kingston,  is  Cobourg, — a  place  newly  sprung 
up ;  and  a  most  delightful  little  village  it  is, — slop- 
ing down  to  the  very  water's  edge.  The  houses 
all  nearly  new,  clean,  and  well-built,  mostly  sur- 
rounded with  tastefully  laid  out  gardens,  with  the 
nejit  church  topping  the  hill.  The  whole  village 
from  the  lake  has  a  most  enchanting  appearance  ; 
the  inhabitants,  too,  are  quite  of  the  respectable 
order, — indeed,  they  pique  themselves  on  keeping 
their  society  select. 

There  are  many  very  extensive  farmers  in  the 
neighbourhood,  who  cultivate  very  large  tracts  of 


V3 


96 


CANADA    AS    IT   IS. 


land.  Some  of  these  agriculturists  will  trans- 
port in  the  course  of  a  season  two  thousand 
bushels  of  wheat,  or  upwards.  The  country  is 
pretty  well  settled  for  forty  miles  back,  and  still 
fast  increasing.  It  must  be  acknowledged,  that 
the  manner  of  managing  their  farms  is  a  model  for 
many  other  parts  of  the  Province  ;  they  seem  to 
adopt  the  right  system  of  tillage,  not  merely  scratch- 
ing over  the  land,  and  just  dropping  in  the  seed, 
(as  is  the  custom  in  many  parts  of  the  Province,) 
but  properly  and  effectively  breaking  up  the  soil 
with  the  plough,  in  a  thorough  husbandry-like 
^'  manner.  It  is  not  the  quantity  sown  to  be  con- 
sidered, but  the  principle  thing  is  the  state  and 
tillage  of  the  land.  At  least  one-third  of  the  land 
in  ithis  Frovipcj^  is  lost,  through  a  bad  system  of 
tillage.  The  best  crop  that  a  farmer  can  have,  who 
is  poor  and  has  not  the  means  to  well  dress  his 
land,  is  Indian  corn.  This  is  a  grain  that  might 
be  just  dropped  in  the  earth,  and  as  fast  as  it 
grows,  the  hoe  will  perform  the  necessary  tillage ; 
it  will  succeed  well  in  the  same  land  for  twenty 
years  successively ;  and  it  generally  finds  a  ready 
market.  The  seed  that  is  necessary  to  plant  a 
large  breadth  of  Indian  corn,  is  of  no  moment, 
consequently,  should  the  crop  fail,  the  loss  is  not 
felt.     There  are  other  kinds  of  produce  that  might 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


#f 


be  raised  witb  advantage,  principally  by  hand 
labour.  Hemp,  for  instance,  is  an  article  much 
wanted  in  this  Province  :  still  the  growth  of  hemp 
is  certainly  attended  with  some  expense,  and  per- 
haps not  within  the  reach  of  every  one.  But  there 
is  another  produce  of  great  importance  to  every 
farmer  who  has  any  stock, — a  crop  which  appears 
to  be  much,  if  not  altogether  overlooked  in  this 
country,  which  is  cat  rots ;  they  are  amongst  the 
best  and  most  nutritious  food  for  horses;  one 
bushel  of  carrots  will  yield  more  nourishment  than 
two  bushels  of  oats  or  potatoes ;  and  it  is  a  re- 
markable fact,  that  horses  will  frequently  leave 
oats  to  feed  on  carrots,  after  they  have  acquired  a 
relish  for  them  :  generally  other  cattle  as  well  as 
horses  are  fond  of  them,  and  thrive  astonishingly 
well,  when  fed  on  them.  They  not  only  make 
them  in  good  condition,  but  give  them  fine  glossy 
coats.  If  farmers  would  turn  their  attentioa  to 
raising  this  vegetable  extensively,  they  would  find 
an  immense  saving  in  grain,  as  well  as  a  visible 
change  in  the  thrift  of  their  animals.  Asa  matter 
of  economy  and  profit,  it  is  of  vast  importance. 
The  quantity  of  carrots  which  may  be  raised  fi*om 
one  acre  of  good  land,  is  almost  incredible :  when 
the  land  is  rich  and  mellow,  an  acre  will  yield  from 
one  to  two  thousand  bushels ;  the  process  is  sim- 


l\ 


^  h 


98 


CANADA    AS    IT   18. 


I 


pie,  and  the  labour  comparatively  light ; — select  a 
rich  piece  of  ground,  tolerably  dry,  and  as  free 
from  weeds  as  possible  :  plough  it  deep,  make  it 
mellow,  and  harrow  it  smooth ;    then  sow  your 
ground  with  the  usual  quantity  of  flaxseed,  and 
harrow  it  in ;  afler  this  sow  about  a  quart  of  car- 
rot seed  to  the  acre,  and  .brush  it  lightly, — both 
seeds  will  come  up  together  ;  but  the  flax  spring- 
ing up  with  considerable  rapidity,  will  so  shade  the 
carrots,  that  they  will  not  gain  much  size  till  the 
flax  is  pulled.     The  shade  of  the  flax  will  also  pre- 
vent the  weeds  from  growing,  so  as  to  interfere 
with  the  carrots.     AAer  the  flax  is  pulled,  which 
will  be  in  July,  the  carrots  will  begin  to  flourish ; 
especially  if  the  weeds  have  been  kept  in  check 
by  the  shade  ;  for  the  pulling  of  the  flax  will  so 
loosen  the  earth  around  them,  and  so  expose  them 
to  the  rays  of  the  sun,  as  to  give  them  new  vigour 
and  strength ;  at  that  time,  also,  the  weeds  will 
not  grow  rapidly,  if  at  all.     Thus  may  be  raised 
two  valuable  crops,  without  impoverishing  the  land 
more  than  by  a  crop  of  corn  or  oats.     It  is  not 
probable  that  the  first  attempt  will  yield  so  largely 
as  has  been  suggested  above,  but  if  the  proper  pre- 
cautions be  taken,  and  are  tolerably  successful, 
one  acre  will  produce  about  one  thousand  bushels 
of  carrots,  worth — 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


99 


1  shilling  per  bushel,  £50  00 

300  lbs.  flax,  worth  4d  per  lb.  5  00 

6  bushels  flaxseed,  about  2  00 

To  what  use  can  an  acre  of  land  be  applied  by 
which  it  will  produce  half  the  amount  1  This  may 
seem  a  large  estimate,  but  it  is,  nevertheless  true ; 
and  if  any  one  wish  to  test  the  matter,  let  them  try 
it  next  season.  Horses  will  work  on  carrots  as 
well  as  on  oats,  and  keep  in  much  better  order.  The 
above  might  probably  be  considered  experimental 
farming ;  but  in  farming  as  well  as  in  other  matters, 
experiments  have  brought  to  light  many  valuable 
discoveries ;  in  gardening  in  particular,  and  in  all 
botanical  researches,  which  to  husbandry  are  near- 
ly akin,  to  what  amazing  perfection  the  system  of 
gardening  is  brought  at  home ;  and  yet  no  further 
back  than  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  Holland 
furnished  us  with  green  peas,  and  even  potatoes. 
But  men  generally  do  not  relish  the  idea  of  going 
out  of  their  regular  track ;  they  consider  that  to 
stoop  to  advice  is  beneath  their  notice,  and  hence 
they  plod  on  in  their  own  unprofitable  way  for  the 
want  of  a  more  enlightened  and  productive  system. 
All  the  .'Steam-boats  navigating  Lake  Ontario, 
both  up  and  down,  touch  at  Albany,  which  renders, 
it  a  village  of  some  importance. 


r>§ 


ill 


4' 


i 


i,(M 


!• 


i 


Is 


I 


100 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


On  leaving  Cobourg,  you  pass  on  the  high  road 
leading  to  the  capital  of  Upper  Canada,  the  coun- 
try is  in  many  places  along  the  line  of  this  road 
still  a  wilderness  ;  here  and  there  are  some  good 
clearances,  but  they  are  not  general  till  near  Port 
Hope,  which  is  sixty  miles  below  York.  This  is 
another  village  similar  to  Cobourg,  but  not  so 
large :  it  also  butts  on  Lake  Ontario,  over  which  it 
has  an  extensive  view.  Port  Hope  contains  at 
present  about  forty  or  fifty  dwellings,  and  is  now 
one  of  those  pretty  pleasant  country  villages  so 
oflen  to  be  met  with. 

Leaving  Port  Hope  you  now  soon  arrive  at 
what  might  be  termed  the  Yorkshire  of  Upper 
Canada;  for  here  are  the  towns  of  Darlington, 
Scarborough,  Harrowgate,  Whitby  and  Pickering, 
and  a  township  called  Scarborough;  and  these 
places  are  settled  very  much  by  natives  from  York- 
shire. Many  of  the  Upper  Canada  loyalists  have 
settled  on  and  about  Scarborough.  Doubtless  the 
term  is  generally  understood ;  they  are  persons 
from  the  United  States,  originally  from  British 
parents,  who  at  the  time  of  the  American  war, 
would  not,  from  conscientious  motives,  take  up 
arms  against  their  original  country  and  kindred. 
They  withdrew  from  the  States,  and  placed  them- 
selves under  the  protection  of  the  British  govern- 


CANADA    AS   IT    18. 


101 


tnent,  who  as  a  recompense  for  the  sacrifices  they 
had  made,  gave  them  grants  of  lands  iu  the  Cana- 
das,  and  also  to  their  children. 

When  within  about  six  miles  of  the  town  of 
York,  it  presents  a  very  good  and  extensive  view 
of  it,  stretching  itself  along  the  beach,  on  the  north- 
west side  of  the  harbour.  In  the  distant  vievr,  and 
commanding  the  entrance  to  the  harbour,  is  the 
garrison,  which  has  a  very  formidable  appear- 
ance. The  suburbs  are  marked  by  all  those 
characteristics  observable  in  the  vicinity  of  most 
large  towns  at  home.  Dotted  hcie  and  there 
are  neat  pretty  villas,  built  on  a  handsome  construc- 
tion, having  those  compact  little  paddocks  and 
shrubberies  which  so  much  adorn  the  country- 
house. 

The  first  structure  that  engages  the  attention,  is 
the  new,  handsome,  and  substantial  wooden  bridge 
built  over  the  river  Don.  In  the  entrance  to  the 
town  as  well  as  this,  many  other  handsome  and 
useful  buildings  which  now  ornament  it,  was  com- 
pleted under  the  direction  of  the  present  excellent 
Governor  Sir  John  Colborne. 

The  next  building  of  any  consequence  is  the 
arge  brick  Catholic  Church,  a  most  substantial 
idilice.  A  distinguishing  feature  in  the  town  of 
i!^ork  is  the  numerous  substantial  brick  dwellirii!- 


f; 


102 


CANADA    Al8   IT   18. 


houses.  The  town  is  laid  out  with  numerous 
streets  butting  on  the  lake  shore,  and  crossing 
transversely  the  main  street  at  right  angles,  called 
King-street ;  which  runs  in  a  straight  line  through 
the  heart  of  the  town,  for  a  mile  and  a  quarter  in 
length.  Here  is  a  Newgate-street  and  a  Cheap- 
side,  a  Poultry,  and  Snow  Uill,  and  many  other 
names  familiarly  known  in  the  British  metropolis. 
Here  is  also  another  singular  accumulation  of 
names ;  for  on  the  whole  side  of  one  street,t  he  in- 
habitants which  comprised  only  two  names,  (Arm- 
strong and  Rideau.) 

There  are  a  great  number  of  stores  in  York,  and 
some  of  them  are  really  elegant,  and  well  supplied 
with  the  choicest  wares  manufactured  in  Europe. 
They  all  appear  to  do  a  great  deal  of  business. 
York  is  altogether  a  place  of  extensive  trade  with 
the  western  part  of  the  Upper  Province ;  and  the 
thickly  settled  townships  surrounding  it,  is  in  fact 
the  bay  to  this  important  part  of  Upper  Canada. 
It  is  astonishing  in  the  time  of  sleighing  in  the 
winter,  when  the  roads  are  good,  to  see  the  num- 
ber of  large  sleighs,  with  wheat  and  various  kinds 
of  produce,  coming  into  the  town ;  and  it  is  alto- 
gether a  very  novel  sight.  Sometimes  will  be 
observed  fifteen  or  tv/enty  of  those  large  box  sleds, 
some  drawn  by  two  horses,  others  by  four,  all  at 


eANADA   A8  IT  18* 


103 


full  trot  Mrith  their  bells  jingling,  some  driven  by 
jolly  looking  Quakers,  some  by  the  singular  £  t 
called  Tankards,  who  never  shave  their  beards,— 
these  growing  nearly  down  to  their  middles,  and  with 
their  little  skimmer  hats  and  long  coats,  have  a 
most  extraordinary  appearance.>*-Then  comes  an 
Indian,  >vith  his  well  known  dress,  the  universal 
blanket,  driving  in  a  load  of  frozen  deer  to  mar- 
ket,~>next  a  Yankee,  with  his  load  of  frozen  pigs, 
all  as  stiffas  the  shafts  of  his  sleigh,  himself  dressed 
in  his  homespnn  suit  of  brown, — all  these  charac- 
ters form  a  very  striking  contrast.  The  quantity 
of  wheat  deposited  in  York  during  the  winter  is 
very  great ;  many  of  the  principal  storekeepers  of 
the  town  purchasing  very  largely  of  this  commodity. 
A  large  body  of  the  farmers  in  Yonge-street,  and 
in  the  townships  in  the  vicinity  of  York,  have 
adopted  the  plan  of  storing  their  own  wheat;  they 
have  formed  themselves  into  an  association,  and 
have  built  a  very  large  storage  at  York,  on  tlie 
margin  of  the  lake^  where  they  store  it  in  the  win- 
ter, while  the  roads  are  good,  and  transport  it  down 
in  the  Spring, — thus  securing  to  themselves  the 
best  prices.  They  have  their  secretary  in  York  to 
see  to  the  storage,  and  keep  the  account  of  de- 
posits, &c. 


104 


CANADA    .  .    IT    19. 


I 


The  public  market  of  York  is  uncommonly  well 
supplied  daily  with  fresh  meat,  poultry,  vegetables, 
butter,  cheese,  &c.  both  in  summer  and  winter.  The 
present  market  house,  which  is  extensive,  appears 
scarcely  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  inhabi- 
tants  of  this  fast  increasing  town.  A  contract  has 
been  made  for  the  erection  of  a  new  market-house, 
and  it  is  stated,  that  the  estimated  cost  of  the  build- 
ing will  be  about  six  thousand  five  hundred  poiinds 
currency.  The  prices  of  meat  generally  in  the 
York  market  is,  for  beef  about  three  pence  per 
pound  ;  mutton  four  pence  ;  veal  Iho  same  ;  a  fat 
goose  for  two  shillings ;  turkeys  three  and  six- 
pence to  five  shillings ;  fowls  nine  pence  to  one 
shilling  and  six  pence  ;  butter  eight  to  ten  pence ; 
cheese  five  pence. 

York  is  also  at  some  seasons  of  the  year  well 
supplied  with  fish  taken  in  the  lake.  The  salmon 
is  excellent,  and  in  great  plenty.  The  lake  salmon 
.  does  not  quite  equal  in  flavour  that  taken  in  salt 
water.  The  colour  is  not  so  bright,  but  the  fish 
are  equally  large,  and  very  good  eating.  They 
are  not  caught  in  nets,  but  with  the  spear ;  the 
fisherman  goes  out  at  night  in  canoes  or  boats, 
keeping  a  light  in  the  bow,  which  attracts  the  fish, 
when  they  are  struck  with  the  barbed  spear,  and 
easily  secured.     The  lakes  produce  another  very 


•*: 


CANADA    AS    IT    11. 


105 


eicelleiit  fish,  called  white  fish,  generally  of  about 
three  or  four  pounds  weight ;  also  the  blue  backed 
herring,  much  larger  than  the  common  herring,  but 
of  the  same  species.  It  is  somewhat  like  the  fresh 
herring,  but  rather  of  a  milkish  flavour.  In  fact, 
the  most  of  those  fish  in  the  lakes  are  migrators 
from  the  sea ;  and  there  is  no  doubt,  if  the  sea- 
fish  could  be  introduced  into  the  lakes,  but  they 
would  breed  and  thrive  in  fresh  water. 

A  gentleman  of  Upper  Canada  has  proposed  to 
the  House  of  Assembly  to  vote  the  sum  of  fivo 
hundred  pounds,  to  be  appropriated  to  the  pur- 
chase of  all  kinds  of  live  sea  fish,  lobsters,  oysters, 
and  all  descriptions  of  shell  as  well  as  other  sea- 
fish,  to  be  deposited  in  the  lakes,  lor  the  purpose 
of  trying  the  experiment  of  raising  an  inland  sup- 
ply. The  various  descriptions  of  herring  (known 
to  be  natives  of  the  sea) — flourish  in  these  waters. 
There  can  be  no  reason  why  other  natives  of  the 
same  element  should  not  also  succeed,  at  least,  it 
is  not  improbable.  They  now  have  a  supply  of 
fresh  cod  and  oysters  at  York  in  the  winter,  but 
they  are  brought  a  distance  of  six  or  seven  hun- 
dred miles,  and  of  course  the  price  is  proportion- 
ate. 

York  is  fast  becoming  a  place  of  considerable 

importance.     The  situation  is  central,  between  a 

H2 


r 


106 


CANaOA    AI   it   18. 


great  extent  of  inland  navigation  and  a  very  large 
tract  of  well  settled  country.  All  the  supplies,  for 
above  a  hundred  and  fifly  miles  above  it,  are  drawn 
from  York.  There  are  already  many  considerable 
establishments  in  its  neighbourhood,  such  as  paper 
makers,  hatters,  parchment  makers,  potteries,  and 
many  other  branches;  and  the  mechanics  generally, 
in  and  about  York,  are  the  most  ingenious  and  best 
in  the  Province,  and  are  here  very  numerous. 

The  grist-mills  in  the  vicinity  of  York,  too,  de- 
serve notice ;  they  are  upon  a  most  ingenious  and 
efiective  construction  ;  they  are  afler  the  American 
model,  and  are  certainly  the  most  simple,  effective, 
and  expeditious  in  their  operations.  It  is  not  the 
custom  here  for  millers  to  measure  in  the  wheat 
they  purchase,  but  to  weigh  all  at  the  rate  of  sixty 
pounds  to  the  bushel.  The  mills  receive  the  wheat 
at  the  weighing  machine  i  it  then  passes  on  in 
a  trough  worked  by  cogs,  placed  in  rollers ;  then 
by  conductors,— (these  are  a  kind  of  leather  pouch, 
each  holding  about  a  pint)-^it  is  taken  up  to  the 
smut  machine,  then  to  the  fanning  mill;  from 
thence  down  to  the  griu<3«ng  stones  ;  up  again  by 
conductors  to  be  bolted  ;  from  thence  i!  passes  in- 
to the  large  receiving  bin,  and  into  the  barrels. — 
Thus  the  wheat  is  taken  in  at  the  weighing  ma- 


's» 


CANADA    AS    IT    IB. 


107 


chinOf  pasflos  through  all  those  evolutions ;  and 
from  the  time  of  its  being  weighed  till  it  is  fine 
flour,  and  in  the  barrel,  no  hand  touches  it  ijit  is 
all  done  by  a  simple  piece  of  machinery.  Flour 
and  wheat  are  articles  of  considerable  trade  at 
York.  Salt  is  another  article  of  importance ;  and 
nearly,  if  not  qoite  all,  the  salt  that  passes  through 
the  hands  of  the  merchants  at  York,  is  imported 
from  Onondaga  in  the  States,  where  it  is  made. 
The  amount  paid  to  the  Americans,  for  this  single 
article,  in  the  course  of  a  year,  must  be  some  thou- 
sands of  pounds.  There  are  the  r^ame  facilities 
for  manufac luring  salt  in  some  parts  of  the  Upper 
Province,  which,  they  have  in  the  inland  part  of 
the  States — namely,  salt  springs  :  but  who  is  to 
advance  the  necessary  capital,  in  this  Province,  re- 
quired to  carry  on  such  works?  We  have  no 
banks  here  to  assist  us.  Thus  thousands  are  annu- 
ally spent  in  th?  Province,  both  for  this  and  many 
other  necessaries. 

The  inns  an^  other  places  of  accommodation 
are  very  numerous  in  York ;  and  some  of  them 
are  kept  in  the  best  order,  and  on  a  very  large  scale. 
There  are  likewise  many  private  boarding-houses, 
equal,  if  not  superior,  to  any  in  the  Province  ;  and 
the  charges,  considering  the  nature  of  those  ac- 

H3     .::,      .V^V:<■.  -■•/:-■. 


iilH 

Ki  HR 

IEh 

il 

1  ^^^1 

11 

1 

108 


CANADA   AS    IT    IS. 


I 


commodations,  very  reasonable.      Many  of  the 
taverns  are  kept  by  Americans. 

It  is  no  uncommon  thing  in  taverns  in  the  States 
to  find  a  Bible  placed  in  each  bed-room,  for  tho  use 
of  visiters ;  and  some  of  these  taverns  will  supply 
no  liquors,  on  Sundays,  ta  any  persons  but  those 
really  travelling ;  and  a  very  excellent  and  proper 
regulation  it  certainly  is. 

The  arrival  of  the  numerous  emigrants  at  York, 
during  the  summer,  is  a  source  of  great  profit  to 
the  tavern-keepers.  In  fact,  many  of  them  loiter 
at  these  houses  much  too  long  for  their  own 
interest.  The  numerous  groups  of  emigrants 
collected  on  the  beach,  immediately  after  the  arri- 
val of  a  steam-boat,  is  a  scene  of  no  common  in- 
terest, and  exhibits  a  very  singular  taste  in  the 
ideas  of  economy.  You  will  see,  probably,  a  few 
old  chairs  not  worth  half  a  dollar  each,  which  have 
been  brought  nearly  or  quite  five  thousand  miles  ; 
with  old  bedsteads,  and  other  pieces  of  common 
furniture,  that  could  have  been  disposed  of  at  home 
for  nearly  as  much  as  new  would  cost  here  ;  for 
wood  being  so  very-  abundant  in  Canada,  these 
common  articles  of  furniture  are  very  cheap  in 
most  parts  of  the  Province ;  very  good  common 
chairs,  quite  new,  are  to  be  bought  for  four  or  five 
shillings  each,  and  sometimes  less  ;  but  the  people 


CANADA    AS    IT   IS. 


109 


at  home  imagine  there  are  no  persons  here  who 
can  manufacture  these  kind  of  things.  In  this 
they  are  much  mistaken  ;'  for  such  is  the  accumu- 
lation of  furniture  for  sale  in  the  Upper  Province, 
that  the  body  of  cabinet  makers  of  York,  during 
the  last  session  of  the  Assembly,  petitioned  the 
House  to  pass  an  act  prohibiting  the  importation 
of  furniture  from  the  United  States;  therefore, 
emigrants  should  not  bring  any  lumbering  heavy 
furniture  with  them  to  this  country. 

The  navigable  part  of  the  emigrant's  long  jour- 
ney generally  ends  at  York ;  and  here  are  to  be 
seen  groups  of  men,  women,  and  children,  each 
betraying,  in  their  countenances,  marks  of  the  un- 
settled state  of  their  ideas  in  this,  to  them,  strange 
country.  Some  are  anxiously  seeking  their  friends ; 
some  are  inquiring  for  the  most  eligible  situations 
to  settle  in ;  others  are  endeavouring  to  procure 
present  employment :  and  many  are  the  dupes  of 
unprincipled  characters,  who,  for  the  sake  of  plun- 
dering these  poor  strangers,  often  lead  them  into 
situatioiis  the  most  inimical  to  their  interest. 

The  trades  of  York  appear  to  be  more  distinctly 

classed  than  are  to  be  observed  in  many  other 

town«J  in  Canada.     There  are  drapers  who  appear 

to  keep  only  those  peculiar  kind  of  goods  in  their 

immediate  line,  denominated  dry  goods.      Hem 

H4 


110 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


are  grocery  and  spirit  stores,  selling  nothing  but 
heavy  kinds  of  goods,  spirits,  and  wines.  Whis- 
key is  an  article  to  be  had  exceedingly  cheap,  as 
low  as  one  shilling  and  six  pence  a  gallon  :  cider, 
too,  is  very  cheap — at  about  three  pence  per  gal- 
lon, and  very  good.  There  are  in  York  iron- 
mongers, silversmiths,  druggists,  stationers,  &c., 
who  respectively  seem  to  confine  themselves  to 
the  sale  of  their  legitimate  articles  of  trade. 

The  suburbs  of  York  are  remarkable  for  the 
rich  appearance  of  its  numerous  gardens,  which 
exhibit  the  evident  marks  of  a  congenial  climate. 
Apples,  particularly,  thrive  in  the  greatest  luxu- 
riance. Most  kinds  of  fruit  and  vegetables  seem  to 
flourish  here  ;  the  red  currant  and  the  plum  grow 
to  a  very  great  size ;  cabbages,  celery,  cauliflow- 
ers, and  in  fact  all  kinds  of  culinary  vegetables, 
are  raised  here  in  the  greatest  abundance.  They 
have  here  a  pea  called  the  six  week  pea,  which  is 
planted  and  comes  to  maturity  in  six  weeks.  Many 
fruits  and  vegetables  are  raised  in  Upper  Canada 
which  will  not  come  to  perfection  at  home,  at  least 
not  in  the  open  air.  Melons  are  here  planted 
openly  in  the  gardens,  or  in  the  fields ;  indeed, 
they  succeed  best  on  a  spot  where  a  log  heap  has 
been  burnt.  Cucumben?  also  grow  to  an  uncom- 
mon size  when  planted  in  the  same  spots.     They 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


Ill 


are  also  much  better  than  those  grown  in  Europe, 
If  some  kinds  of  garden  seeds  are  sown  here  in 
the  fall  of  the  year,  they  succeed  well ;  and  persons 
would  profit  much  by  adopting  this  system — of 
sowing  onions,  carrots,  parsnips,  and  asparagus, 
and  other  kinds  of  the  hardy  plants,  that  frost  will 
not  injure.  Seeds,  by  being  sown  in  the  fall  of  the 
year,  acquire  an  early  growth  in  the  Spring,  and 
get  strong  before  the  grub  attacks  them. 

About  fifty  miles  above  York,  towards  the  West- 
ern District,  and  at  Niagara,  which  is  thirty-six 
miles  across  the  lake,  peaches  grow  in  the  greatest 
abundance,  on  trees  planted  in  the  gardens  or  or- 
chards, just  the  same  as  the  apples.  They  are 
not  so  large  as  those  raised  on  wall  trees,  nor  have 
they  the  same  rich  appearance;  they  are  green 
when  ripe,  but  are  very  sweet  and  good, — are  used 
in  great  quantities  for  preserving,  and  are  also 
made  into  peach  brandy.  They  are  brought  from 
Niagara  to  York  in  very  large  boat  loads,  and  sold 
out  of  the  boats  at  the  wharf  side,  at  sometimes  a 
shilling,  dnd  even  as  low  as  six  pence  a  bushel. 

The  harbour  of  York  presents  a  scene  of  great 

interest  when  the  navigation  of  the  lake  is  open. 

Her  placid  waters  being  the  receptacle  of  a  great 

variety  of  craft, — flight  fancy  painted  skiffs,  some 

for  pleasure,  some  for  business,  a  numerous  an- 

H5 


112 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


chorage  of  sloops  freighted  with  a  variety  of  pro- 
duce ;  one  handsome  steamer,  just  departing ; 
another  of  portentous  dimensions,  just  now  seen 
in  the  offing, — regarded  with  an  anxious  eye  by 
the  groups  of  characters  walking  to  and  fro  on  the 
long  extended  wharf.  The  whole  scene  presents 
to  the  view  an  interest  not  et\3i\y  conceived. 

There  have  been  for  the  last  two  or  three  years, 
three  large  steam-boats  running  constantly  between 
Prescott  and  Niagara, — the  splendid  new  steamer, 
the  Great  Britain,  now  makes  the  fourth.  Nia- 
gara is  merely  the  nominal  place  of  destination. 
The  steam-boats  generally  land  four  fifths  of  their 
cargoes  and  passengers  at  York.  The  Canada 
runs  every  morning  to  Niagara,  and  returns  the 
same  afternoon.  There  is  also  another  at  the 
head  of  the  lake,  taking  passengers  and  loading 
for  Hamihon,  Dundas,  Ancaster,  and  all  parts  of 
the  west. 

The  improvements  in  the  town  of  York  are 
making  inconceivable  progre.  "<.  Both  public  and 
private  buildings,  of  the  most  substantial  kind,  are 
being  erected  in  all  directions.  They  are  mostly 
of  brick,  of  which  article  there  is  now  an  immense 
quantity  made  near  the  town.  Mechanics  of  all 
grades  obtain  ready  employment.  The  supplies 
of  lumber  and  other  building  materials  are  not  more 


sergej 
milital 
banitj 
busini 
Fal 
lege 


CANADA   AS    IT    IS. 


113 


than  commensurate  with  the  demand.  In  fact,  the 
prosperity  and  growth  of  the  capital  seems  to  keep 
pace  with  the  general  improvement  of  the  Pro- 
vince. 

The  large  handsome  brick  buildings,  now  near- 
ly completed,  immediately  opposi*.e  the  lake,  re- 
flect the  greatest  credit  on  those  engaged  in  their 
erection.  These  buildings  are  intended  for  the 
sittings  of  the  Houses  of  Assembly,  and  the  legis- 
lative body ;  and  also  for  the  occupation  of  some 
of  the  public  offices.  The  government  here  ap- 
pears to  be  concentrating  the  public  offices  under 
the  same  roof, — a  most  desirable  regulation ;  for 
at  present  they  are  distributed  all  over  town ;  and 
after  a  person  has  transacted  business  at  one  oHice, 
it  takes  him  half  a  day  to  find  out  the  next.  The 
Government  House,  (the  present  residence  of 
Sir  John  Colborne,)  is  a  large  white  painted  build- 
ing, immediately  in  the  rear  of  the  building  just 
alluded  to.  It  altogether  occupies  about  four  acres 
of  land,  comprising  a  shrubbery,  garden,  &c.  A 
sergeant's  guard  is  always  in  attendance,  and  due 
mihtary  etiquette  is  observed.  The  greatest  ur- 
be^nity  and  attention  is  shown  to  all  applicants  on 
business,  without  distinction. 

Facing  the  Government  House  is  the  new  Col- 
lege of  Upper  Canada,  comprising  a  large  extent 


i 


mi^ 


i 

'■t 


i 


114 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


I 


of  buildings.  The  present,  number  of  scholars  is 
about  two  hundred.  There  are  three  classical 
masters — two  writing  masters — a  drawing  and 
French  master,  with  a  few  assistants.  The  estab- 
lishment of  this  college  is  of  the  most  incalculable 
advantage  to  the  residents  in  and  near  York,  and 
of  Upper  Canada  generally  ;  for  here  they  have 
the  means  of  giving  their  sons  a  liberal  education 
for  a  comparatively  trifling  expense,  the  whole  of 
the  college  fees  not  amounting  to  more  than  eight 
or  ten  pounds  a  year. 

Near  the  college  stands  the  hospital,  a  large 
commodious  building,  well  adapted  for  the  purpose 
for  which  it  is  intended. 

There  are  many  elegant  private  residences  in 
the  vicinity  of  York,  built  in  a  style  that  would  do 
credit  to  any  place  in  Europe.  The  jail  and  court- 
house are  built  in  a  manner  that  renders  them  an 
ornament  to  the  body  of  the  town.  The  House  of 
Assembly  is  at  present  held  at  the  court-house. 
It  consists  of  about  fifty  members— attorneys,  doc- 
tors, farmers,  merchants,  &c. 

The  place  w  here  they  now  hold  their  sittings,  is 
in  an  immense  room  about  eighty  fee^  in  length  by 
forty  in  breadth.  There  are  three  or  four  anti- 
rooms  for  the  ac  commodation  of  committees,  &c. 
The  room  of  sitting  is  fitted  up  with  every  con- 


CANADA    AS   IT    18. 


115 


venience  for  the  accommodation  of  the  memberi. 
Each  member  has  a  desk,  enclosing  a  secretaire 
for  the  deposite  of  his  letters  and  papers.  At  the 
extremity  of  the  room  is  'm  elevated  throne  under 
a  canopy ;  above  which  are  his  Majesty's  coat  of 
arms.  The  throne  is  occupied  by  the  speaker, 
who  sits  in  his  robe  of  office  and  shovel  hat.  There 
are  tha  mace  bearer,  sergeant-at-arms,  usher  of 
the  Mack  rod,  &c.,  all  in  attendance.  There  is 
also  an  elevated  enclosure  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  gentlemen  of  the  press. 

The  House  usually  sits  from  the  beginning  of 
January  to  the  middle  of  March.  At  the  opening 
of  the  session,  the  Governor  goes  in  state  tc  the 
House  in  a  similar  form  to  that  observed  by  the 
King  at  home — ^being  here  his  representative. 

The  bank  of  York  is  a  large  handsome  building, 
entered  by  a  flight  of  stone  steps  ;  having  doors, 
and  the  fittings  up  in  the  inside,  of  mahogany.  The 
business,  which  is  now  very  considerable,  seems 
to  be  conducted  with  great  regularity  and  despatch. 
There  are  no  lack  of  professional  men  in  York, 
having  a  considerable  number  of  lawyers  and  doc- 
tors. The  periodical  publications  appear  to  be  very 
well  supported  in  the  town  and  its  vicinity.  There 
are  five  regular  weekly  papers,  besides  the  Govern- 
ment Gazette — ^these  are  the  Courier,  the  Colonial 


ii 


i 


116 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


Advocate,  Canadian  Freeman,  Observer,  and  the 
Christian  Guardian.  The  price  of  papers  in 
Canada  is  generally  four  dollars  a  year. 

There  is  great  encouragement  for  mechanics  in 
and  about  York.  The  wages  of  sinitbs  and  car- 
penters are  seven  shillings  and  six  pence  a  day ; 
masons  about  the  same.  Most  other  trades  are 
well  paid.  They  certainly  may  live  very  much 
cheaper  here  than  at  home ;  and  if  they  are  sober 
men,  they  have  a  chance  of  saving  money.  Shoe 
makers,  hatters,  and  tailors,  get  the  highest  wages 
in  York,  for  such  is  the  gaiety  of  this  thriving 
town,  that  their  respective  trades  are  well  encou- 
raged. Here  are  advertising  boot  makers  from 
»♦  Hoby's,"  tailors  from  "  Bond-street,"  and  milli- 
ners and  dress  makers  from  the  "  West  End  ;"  in 
fact,  here  is  a  London  in  miniature.  iPhe  place  is 
yet  too  small  to  support  a  regular  theatre ;  although 
they  have  occasionally  some  travelling  performers. 
The  gaiety  of  York  is  developed  in  their  private 
parties,  which  is  greatly  enhanced  by  the  beauty 
and  vivacity  of  the  fair  sex. 

The  religious  sects  are  of  many  denom^nsLUons, 
• — ^the  Roman  Catholics,  Presbyterians,  Methodists, 
Congregationalists,  and  Episcopalians ;  and  what- 
ever they  might  be  in  other  parts  of  the  Province, 
the  latter  are  the  most  numerous  in  the  capital 


Th( 
regard 
Ontari 


CAITADA    AS    IT    IS. 


117 


The  site  of  York  is  admirably  chosen,  as  far  as 
regards  its  convenience  for  the  navigation  of  Lake 
Ontario ;  possessing  a  safe,  commodious,  and 
capacious  bay,  secuilu^  to  craft  of  every  descrip- 
tion a  safe  anchorage.  The  lands,  also,  on  the 
western  side  of  the  town,  are  high  a!!d  dry,  and 
admirably  adapted  for  building,  but  there  is  a  great 
drawback  on  the  score  of  its  unhealthiness  of  situa- 
tion on  the  eastern  side  of  the  town,  which,  it  is 
much  to  be  feared,  is  irremoveable.  At  the  head 
of  the  bay^  which  comes  to  the  east  side  of  Tork, 
are  some  vf^ry  extensive  stagnant  marshes ;  they 
extend  for  six  or  seven  miles ;  and  are  considered 
to  be  the  principal  agents  in  germinating  the  local 
diseases  felt  more  or  less  in  and  ebout  the  town. 

In  Reesorville  are  two  good  taverns,  two  or 
three  smiths,  carpenters,  a  saddler,  tailors,  shoe 
makers,  a  regular  post-office,  several  stores,  and  a 
church  is  now  being  built.  .  -  ^*t 

These  little  new  village?,  built  up  in  the  centre 
of  the  forest,  have  a  most  extraordinary  appear- 
ance to  any  person  who  has  been  familiar  with 
European  towns.  There,  the  immense  space  of 
surrounding  country,  all  open  to  the  view,  is  gene- 
rally seen :  here  is,  as  it  were,  a  town  fenced  in 
by  an  interminable  forest.         -^ -;  -  "  '    > 


:  yf-\'^ 


118 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


A  person  travelling  through  the  bush,  feels  much 
about  the  same  sensation  as  he  would,  were  he  to 
be  travelling  through  any  part  of  the  United  King- 
dom, with  a  bandage  over  his  eyes,  and  only  hav- 
ing it  released  upon  his  coming  to  any  town  or 
village.  He  is  not  always  lonesome  on  his  way ; 
he  sometimes  may  see  a  deer  crossing  his  path ; 
or  the  red  or  black  si  uirrel  playing  in  the  trees ; 
and  peradventure  he  might  meet  with  a  bear. 

Birds  are  seldom  to  be  seen  much  in  the  heart 
of  the  forest,  with  the  exception  of  the  solitary 
woodpecker.  The  feathered  tribe  generally  ap- 
pear to  be  of  a  social  habit ;  in  the  clearances, 
and  near  the  villages  they  appear  to  be  most  at 
home.  The  inhabitants  in  this  neighbourhood 
derive  a  great  advantage  from  the  abundance  of 
suimon  in  the  river  Ruish,  a  small  stream  commu- 
nicating with  Lake  Ontario.  Each  family  in  the 
Spring  obtains  enough  to  supply  them  for  many 
months. 

Further  on  in  this  direction  of  the  country,  lie 
the  thriving  townships  of  Brock,  Innisfil,  and 
others.  Lands  about  these  townships  are  to  be 
had  cheap,  and  consequently  a  desirable  place  of 
settlement  for  the  emigrant  who  has  but  small 
means ;  and  the  roads,  all  through  this  part  of  the 
country  to  York,  are  good. 


'\9fi>i*f  I 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


119 


On  the  Yonge-street,  about  eighteen  miles  from 
York,  are  the  very  high  lands,  called  the  Oak 
Ridges ;  they  extend  for  some  miles,  and  are 
nearly  all  sandy  and  poor.  But  from  hence  up- 
wards, the  soil  is  of  the  most  fertile  description. 
On  the  top  of  these  Ridges,  is  a  lake  of  about  a 
mile  in  circumference,  and  said  to  be  twenty  or 
thirty  fathoms  in  depth.  A  few  miles  beyond 
them  is  the  settlement  of  the  curious  sect  called 
Tankards.  They  are  dissenting  Quakers;  they 
do  not  marry ;  their  dress  is  a  long  suit  of  home- 
spun brown  cloth  ;  they  do  not  shayo  their  beards, 
and  altogether  exhibit  a  most  singular  appearance. 

A  few  miles  from  hence  is  the  town  of  New- 
market, a  place  of  importance  in  this  part  of  the 
couiitry.  Newmarket  comprises  about  a  hundred 
houses ;  it  is  situated  in  the  heart  of  a  rich  pro- 
ductive country,  and  is  a  place  of  great  business  of 
various  descriptions.  Here  are  two  excellent  grist- 
mills ;  besides  saw-mills,  a  hat  and  chair  manu- 
factory, which  are  very  extensive ;  and  a  cloth  or 
carding  mill.  The  texture  of  the  cloth  made  at 
this  mill  is  of  a  fair  quality ;  and  fhe  farmers  in  the 
neighbourhood  have  only  to  dress  and  prepare 
their  wool  a  little,  when  it  is  taken  to  the  mill,  and 
is  returned  a  good  serviceable  cloth. 

Newmarket  is  quite  a  manufacturing  town,  upon 


120 


CANADA   A8   IT   11* 


a  small  scale.  Here  is  a  large  fur  establishment^ 
where  thoy  carry  on  an  extensive  trade  in  furs  with 
the  Indians  about  Lake  Huron,  and  further  north- 
ward. Here  may  be  occasionally  seen  a  body  of 
Indians  ;  they  are  very  large,  being  on  an  average 
at  least  seven  feet  high ;  and  their  limbs  are  in 
proportion.  These  are  entirely  devoid  of  clothing, 
and  their  arms  are  certainly  as  large  as  the  fore 
leg  of  an  ox.  They  are  part  of  a  tribe  of  Indians, 
inhabiting  the  country  about  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
ten  or  fifteen  hundred  miles  from  hence.  They 
were  at  war  with  a  neighbouring  tribe,  who,  not* 
withstanding  their  gigantic  size,  appear  to  have 
been  more  than  a  match  for  them,  for  the  last 
party  seen  at  York  were  a  few,  deputed  by 
their  tribe,  to  come  down  with  the  view  of  solicit- 
ing the  assistance  of  the  government  against  the 
hostile  tribes.  The  government  of  course  refused 
to  interfere,  and  they  were  obliged  to  return  to 
their  own  regions.  They  appear  to  be  possessed 
of  great  strength  and  agility ;  they  can  run  as  fast 
as  a  middling  horse  can  gallop. 

All  kinds  of  produce  are  raised  in  great  plenty 
in  the  vicinity  of  Newmarket.  They  are  remark- 
able here  for  the  extremely  fine  quality  of  their 
honey ;  it  is  quite  equal  to  the  Narbonne  honey, 
so  celebrated  in  Europe. 


CANADA    AS    IT    18. 


121 


neiitf 
I  with 
lorlh- 
dy  of 
crage 
ire  in 
thing, 


it  plenty 
remark- 
of  their 
3  honeyi 


The  next  place,  five  miles  beyond  Newmarket, 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  little  villages  in  the 
whole  Province.     From  the  peculiarity  of  the  sect, 
the  Davidites,  or  Children  of  Peace^  as  they  call 
themselves,  who  inhabit  it,  and  to  whom  it  belongs, 
it  is  generally  called  the  Village  of  Hope.     Some 
call  it  David's  Town,  from  the  name  of  its  founder, 
David  Wilson,  who  is  still  living,  and  the  head  of 
this  sect.     The  road  from  Newmarket  to  David's 
Town  lies  in  a  zigzag  direction,  and  the  village 
opens  abruptly  to  the  view,  which  gives  it  a  pecu- 
liarly striking  effect.     Its  site  is  moi^t  picturesque, 
being  situated  on  the  declivity  of  a  hill  of  conside- 
rable elevation.     The  village  is  composed  of  about 
forty  or  fifty  remarkably  neat,  clean  dwellings; 
but  what  gives  the  most  imposing  effect  is,  the 
handsome  newly  built  temple,  which  is  built  near- 
ly on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  and  is  now  nearly 
finished.     It  is  intended  for  their  public  worship, 
and  is  built  somewhat  afler  the  manner  of  Solo- 
mon's Temple.     It  is  of  a  pyramidical  form  :  the 
extreme  height  is  about  eighty  feet;  length  and 
breadth  of  base  about  seventy  feet, — contracting 
in  elevation.     It  is  decorated  at  the  top  with  a 
gilded  ball.     The  whole  is  of  wood  work,  and 
painted  white.     The  fitting  up  of  the  interior  does 
them  much  credit.     There  is  a  handsome  pulpit ; 


Ii22 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


also  an  orchestra  for  the  musicians,  and  their  sing* 
ing  virgins,  and  every  accommodation  that  can  he 
desired.  The  building  and  finishing  of  this  tem- 
ple have  been  accomplished  wholly  by  themselves. 
This  sect  lives  in  a  little  community,  entirely  to 
themselves.  All  matters  of  dispute  arising  be< 
tween  them  are  referred  to  David;  he  was  their 
founder ;  he  is  now  their  director  and  lawgiver : 
all  their  produce  passes  through  his  hands.  They 
are  many  of  them  farmers,  cultivating  the  lands 
surrounding  the  village.  David  keeps  the  store : 
the  general  produce  of  the  community  is  deposit- 
ed with  him,  and  is  conveyed  to  York,  for  sale, 
regularly  twice  a-week ;  and  he  accounts  to  the 
different  members  for  the  amount  of  produce  sent 
to  market.  This  David  Wilson  is  a  singular 
and  original  character :  he  is  very  anxious  to  ob- 
tain converts  to  his  creed,  for  which  purpose  he 
goes  about  to  the  different  villages,  for  twenty 
miles  or  more,  to  deliver  his  doctrines.  He  fre- 
quently preaches  in  York ;  and  wherever  he  goes, 
he  draws  large  congregations, — not  only  to  hear 
his  proaching,  which  is  purely  original,  but  also 
his  singing  men,  his  musicians,  and  his  virgins, — 
some  of  which  always  follow  in  his  train. 
'"^  David,  in  person,  is  of  the  middle  stature,  about 
sixty  years  of  age,  a  healthy  looking  man;  he 


■^9:'i 


CANADA    AS    IT   IS. 


123 


squints  much,  and  has  a  flat  heavy  appearance. 
He,  in  common  with  the  whole  of  the  sect,  weari^  a 
homespun  blueish  mixture :  his  walk  is  peculiar, — 
he  appears  to  move  as  if  he  were  pulling  his  legs 
afler  him  ;  his  speech  has  a  strong  nasal  twang, 
— ^his  dwelling  is  a  large  respectable  house  near 
the  temple, — the  virgins  have  a  separate  apart- 
ment,-*-they  are  all  kept  well  employed ;.  some  at 
spinning,  others  sewing,  and  different  kinds  of 
work.  The  principle  of  the  Davidites  appears  to 
be,  a  mutual  assistance  to  each  other.  They  are 
not  absolutely  embodied  in  one  and  the  same  socie- 
ty, as  is  the  case  with  Mr.  Owen's  establishments  : 
but  though  living  in  one  community,  and  having 
their  laws  and  regulations  within  themselves,  yet, 
as  to  personal  property,  each  individual  is  distinct. 
David  obtained  a  large  quantity  of  land,  which  he 
sells  out  to  the  different  members  of  his  sect. 
They  all  have  separate  farms,  but  each  member 
turns  in  his  surplus  produce  to  David  for  advances, 
&c.,  made  ;  they  severally  contribute  towards  the, 
general  expenses  of  the  establishment, — such  ad 
building  their  temple,  or  any  other  undertaking  for 
their  general  accommodation.  Any  man  who  has 
a  farm  or  other  occupation  may,  if  he  choose,  be- 
come a  convert  to  this  sect,  and  join  in  the  com- 
munity,— submitting,  of  course,  to  their  laws  and 

12 


mm  1 


mi 


mm , 


124 


CANADA    AS    IT    Id. 


regulations.  This  singular  sect,  though  professing 
the  doctrines  of  Christianity,  appear  to  consider  it 
as  indispensable  to  unite  with  it  as  much  as  pos- 
sible the  observance  of  some  part  of  the  ordinances 
contained  in  the  Mosaic  law.  They  profess  to 
take  the  model  of  their  institution  from  some  parts 
of  the  book  of  Kings. 

David  has  an  establishment  of  virgins,  who 
keep  up  an  annual  feast,  after  the  manner  of  the 
feast  of  Belshazzar,  and  some  other  religious  ob- 
servances, in  accordance  with  the  ancient  Mosaic 
institutions.  On  the  occasion  of  their  annual  feast, 
they  prepare  the  most  sumptuous  and  expensive 
entertainment,  which  is  open  to  all  who  choose 
to  attend.  There  is  music,  dancing,  and  every 
demonstration  of  joy.  The  Davidites,  although 
strictly  enforcing  the  rigid  principles  of  their 
doctrine,  do  not  conform  themselves  in  the  out- 
ward man,  at  least,  as  far  as  regards  their 
dress,  to  any  particular  plainness  of  habit.  The 
virgins,  when  seen  at  a  place  of  worship,  are  all 
dressed  in  white,  and  uniformly.  They,  together 
with  all  the  women  belonging  to  the  sect,  used  to 
be  drilled  to  the  use  of  fire-arms,  probably  in  case 
of  extremity,  to  defend  themselves  ;  on  one  occa- 
sion, however,  one  of  their  muskets  burst,  after 
which  accident  they  declined  the  practice.     Any 


CANADA    A3    IT    IB. 


12^ 


of  the  unmarried  men  of  the  sect,  who  takes  a  fancy 
to  either  of  the  virgins,  makes  known  his  ideas  to 
David,  who  communicates  to  her  the  proposal 
made ;  and  if  she  should  wish  to  enter  into  the- 
holy  state  of  matrimony,  an  appointment  is  made 
for  a  meeting  of  two  hours'  duration ;  (which  is  all 
that  is  allowed  ;)  and  when  a  final  decision,  either 
favorable  or  otherwise,  is  made. 

The  sect  of  Davidites  have  not  been  located 
here  more  than  about  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 
They  give  ample  proof  of  having  rapidly  increased 
in  number  and  property,  which  clearly  demonstrate 
that  where  a  settlement  is  closely  connected, — 
where  they  are  concentrated  as  nearly  as  possible, 

-here  there  are  every  means  of  communication 
liiat  can  be  desired, — and  where,  in  fact,  they  study 
each  others'  interests, — it  is  then  that  settlements 
will  prosper. 

Each  individual  has  his  own  immediate  success 
at  stake  ;  which  is  a  wholesome  stimulus  to  every 
roan's  exertion  ;  although  the  whole  body  have  a 
corresponding  feeling  for  the  success  and  pros- 
perity of  each  other ;  for  they  are  well  aware,  that 
although  each  distinct  member  depends  on  him- 
self, yet  if  the  whole  body  be  not  prosperous,  it 
must  operate  in  some  degree  inimical  to  the  inte- 
rest of  alL 

13 


'  i 


% 


126 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


The  country  around  Newmarket  is  much  settled 
by  Quakers ;  particularly  the  township  of  Whit^ 
church.  They  are  a  most  industrious  class  of  peo- 
ple :  those  to  be  met  with  in  many  parts,  are  of  pe^ 
culiarly  reserved,  shy v  primitive  kind  of  habits,  un- 
sociable and  apparently  have  little  or  no  correspon- 
dence with  the  rest  of  mankind.  But  the  Quakers, 
settled  hereabouts,  are  of  a  very  different  cha- 
racter ;  for  though  they  have  a  peculiarity  of  man- 
ners, yet  they  are  a  cheerful,  free,  pleasant  people 
and  extremely  hospitable.  They  are  branches  of  the 
original  sect  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  and  many  of 
them  are  wealthy,  and  appear  to  live  in  very  com- 
fortable circumstances.  Their  houses  are  always 
open  to  strangers,  and  the  best  their  house  affords. 

The  road  leading  towards  Lake  Simcoe,  through 
the  township  of  Georgina,  is  well  settled.  Here 
is  rather  a  large  settlement  of  half-pay  officers, 
who  appear  to  live  very  respectably.  Lake  Sim- 
coe is  about  twenty  miles  across,  and  is  in  the 
direct  line  with  Penetanguishene.  About  seventy  . 
miles  above  Newmarket,  Latte  Simcoe  is  a  beauti- 
ful picturesque  spot,  affording  an  abundance  of 
fish,  particularly  salmon,  which  are  taken  here, 
both  in  winter  and  summer. 

Penetanguishene  is  a  station  of  the  government, 
where  a  strong  garrison  is  regularly  kept  up.    As 


CANADA    AS    IT    18. 


m 


a  point  of  defence,  it  is  most  judiciously  chosen, 
and  is  capable  of  defending  a  large  tract  of  coun- 
try. It  is  so  defended  by  nature,  that  no  enemy 
could  ever  surprise  it.  This  post  is  at  the  extre- 
mity of  the  settled  part  of  Upper  Canada.  The  cli-^ 
mste  here  is  much  the  same  as  in  other  parts  of  the 
Uppc  r  ProxancO ;  probably  the  winters  are  a  little 
shorter :  bw;  they  are  in  some  seasons  very  severe^ 
— *the  thermometer  frequently  at  twenty-five  and 
thirty  degrees  below  zero.  This  is  a  part  of  the 
globe  where  the  Northern  Lights,  or  the  Aurora 
Borealis,  are  seen  to  great  perfection.  Sometimes 
they  appear  absolutely  to  blaze  in  the  air. 

The  country  further  northward  is  very  imper- 
fectly, if  at  all  known,  except  to  the  Indians ;  and 
they  have  a  particular  antipathy  against  giving  any 
information  whatever  respecting  the  extreme  in- 
land parts' of  the  country :  they  are  afraid,  as  they 
say,  of  White  Man,  lest  they  should  destroy  their 
hunting  ground. 

The  country  between  Lake  Simcoe  and  Pene* 
tasguishene  is  but  partially  settled.  The  situation 
is  as  yet  too  insulated  for  settlers ;  the  soil  and 
climate  are  good ;  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  more 
years,  there  "is  no  doubt  but  this  will  become  a 
flourishing  part  of  the  province. 

14 


11 


. 


i'  I 


128 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


The  ither  main  road  out  of  York  is  called  Dun* 
das-street,  which  leads  round  by  Hamilton  to  Nia- 
gara, a  distance  by  land  of  one  hundred  miles. 
Niagara  and  the  immediate  surrounding  country 
is  now  styled  the  garden  of  the  Upper  Province. 
Certain  it  is,  that  in  the  neighborhood  of  Niagara, 
Queenstown,  St.  Catharines,  &c.,  the  climate  is 
peculiarly  mild,  and  vegetation  flourishes  in  an 
astonishing  degree.  Dundas-street  was  originally 
intended  to  extend  from  Kingston  to  Talbot's  set- 
tlement, a  distance  of  five  hundred  miles.  Th  e 
whole  line  of  road  is  now  laid  out  and  traversed ; 
but  the  only  part  of  it  that  is  known  as  Dundas- 
skeet,  is  that  between  York  and  Dundas,  a  dis- 
tance of  fifly  miles.  At  th6  commencement  of 
^is  road,  out  of  York,  during  about  seven  miles, 
are  the  plains,  or  high  lands ;  the  country  has  then 
a  more  interesting  appearance,  and  is  remarkably 
well  settled.  About  ten  miles  from  York  is  an 
excellent  inn,  kept  by  a  Yorkshireman, — a  man 
whose  whole  attention  and  interest  seem  to  be 
devoted  to  the  health  and  well-being  of  his  horses. 
This  person  keeps  a  good  house,  and  is  the  chief 
proprietor  of  the  stages  running  between  York  and 
Hamilton,  for  it  is  now  a  regular  stage  thorough- 
fare from  York  round  to  Niagara,  and  the  road  is 
excellent  all  the  way.     The  road  from  York  to 


CANADA    AS    IT   IS. 


129 


k 


Hamilton  is  remarkable  for  the  most  picturesque 
scenery  that  is  probably  to  be  met  with  on  any 
road  of  tho  same  distance  in  the  world  :  the  deep 
glens  give  it  a  peculiar  novelty.  In  some  of  these 
glens  you  have  to  descend  a  declivity  of  a  mile  or 
more,  so  perpendicular,  that  on  the  approach  to  it 
you  appear  to  be  going  straight  forward  from  the 
edge  of  one  precipice  to  the  other, — (for  the  valley 
is  not  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide  at  the  bottom,) — 
when  all  at  once  the  immense  gulf  beneath  opens 
to  the  view ; — particularly  at  what  is  called  the 
Sixteen  Mile  Creek. 

A  few  miles  from  this  place,  is  the  interesting 
Indian  village,  called  Hurontario.  It  is  composed 
of  about  forty  iiouses,  inhabited  wholly  by  Indians. 
Thbv  have  each  a  few  acres  of  land  attached  to 
their  dwellings,  for  the  purpose  of  raising  vegeta- 
bles, &c.  They  follow  their  usual  occupations  of 
hunting,  fishing,  &c.,  and  are  by  far  the  most 
civilized  body  of  Indians  that  are  to  be  met  with 
in  the  Canadas.  They  are  a  remnant  of  the  tribe 
of  the  late  celebrated  Indian«*Chief  Tecumseh, — a 
Chief  who  distinguished  himself  in  a  very  remark- 
able manner  in  the  last  American  war  in  which  he 
was  slain. 

Tecumseh  was  the  Na'polton  among  the  Indians 

of  the  West.  He  fought  and  led  on  his  bands  most 

15 


130 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


heroically,  in  concert  with  the  British  troops, 
against  the  American  forces,  and  fell  nobly,  and 
was  deeply  lamented.  His  name  was  equally  a 
terror  to  his  enemies,  as  it  was  eulogized  and 
venerated  by  his  immediate  followers.  Our  go- 
vernment, as  a  reward  for  the  merits  of  this  tribe, 
has  been  at  the  entire  expense  of  building  this 
village  for  their  removal.  It  also  makes  them 
annual  presents  of  blankets,  provisions,  &c. 
There  is  a  school  established  in  the  village,  which 
is  most  ably  conducted  by  a  Mr.  Jones,  a  native 
of  the  tribe,  but  who  has  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  England,  and  is  a  well-informed,  gentle- 
manly young  man.  They  have  a  chapel,  and  Mr. 
Jones  is  also  their  minister.  At  their  devotions 
they  appear  to  be  most  devout  and  attentive.  They 
have  deposited  with  them  an  English  standard, 
which  they  fail  not  to  hoist  on  any  particular  occa- 
sion,— such  as  a  visit  from  the  governor,  &c. 

The  village  of  Hurontario  is  the  picture  of 
neatness  and  cleanliness ;  and  it  imparts  a  most 
pleasant  feeling  to  see  these  poor  savages  now  re- 
claimed from  a  life  of  barbarism  and  ignorance. 
Jiving  in  comfort  and  prosperity,  and  under  the 
dictates  of  a  pure  and  rational  religi  on. 

Dundas-street  is  so  remarkably  well  settled, — 
♦'  "re  are  so  many  good  inns,  excellent  farm-houses 


I  '■ 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


131 


surrounded  by  thrivingyoung  well-bearing  orchards, 
the  whole  of  the  rond  interspersed  with  many  hand- 
some villas,  some  yery  superior, — that  it  naturally 
suggests  to  the  mind  of  the  traveller,  of  his 
passing  through  a  country  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic. 

About  thirty  miles  above  York  was,  some  few 
years  ago,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Gait,  the  ex-su- 
perintendant  of  the  Canada  Company's  affaira 
here.  It  is  a  most  delightful  spot,  having  a  very 
extensive  view  both  over  a  large  tract  of  inland 
country,  and  also  over  Lake  Ontario,  Burlington 
Bay,  &c.  Here  the  road  to  Guelph  branches  off 
out  of  the  Dundas-street.  It  is  from  hence  twen- 
ty-six miles.  This  is  the  only  place  in  Canada 
where  hand-posts  are  put  up  to  denote  the  places 
and  distance  to  where  the  iroads  lead ;  probably 
these  were  erected  by  the  Company.  The  road  to 
Guelph  is  good,  and  pretty  well  settled.  The  city 
was  laid  out  and  built  principally  by  the  Canada 
Company :  it  bears  the  name  in  honor  to  the  royal 
family  of  England.  It  is  a  scattered  kind  of  place. 
There  are  a  few  tolerable  good  inns,^-mechanics 
of  various  grades,  smiths,  carpenters,  a  grist  and 
saw  mill,  a  brewery,  &c.  This  was  intended  as 
the  principal  stgition  of  the  Company,  and  doubt- 
less they  anticipated  a  rapid  flow  of  settlers  to  aci 


132 


CANADA    AS   IT   IS. 


.#. 


cumulate  in  its  neighborhood,  but  this  expectation 
has  not  been  altogether  realized ;  however,  it  must 
be  recollected  that  Guelph  is  as  yet  quite  in  its  in- 
fancy :  five  years  ago,  and  the  place  was  not. 
There  are  some  settlers  in  its  vicinity,  who  appear 
to  be  getting  about  them  the  comforts  of  life.  They 
have  many  of  them  tolerable  good  clearances, 
plenty  of  stock,  comfortable  houses,  &c.,  nnd  seem 
to  be  well  contented.  It  is  astonishing  with  what 
patience  and  fortitude,  many  new  settlers  endure 
their  first  hardships,  and  in  some  cases  they  are  of 
DO  ordinary  stamp ;  yet  it  must  be  borne  in  mind, 
that  they  have  the  strongest  and  most  rational  stimu- 
lants to  persevere  and  overcome  present  difiicul- 
ties, — ^to  forego,  at  least  for  a  time,  many  of  the 
comforts  of  life.  They  feel  they  are  working  on 
their  own  soil,  iheir  freehold  land,  and  either  he  or 
his  family  will  one  day  or  other  reap  the  advan- 
tages. These  recollections  seem  to  sweeten  all 
the  toils  and  fatigues  endured  more  or  less  by  every 
new  settler.  Every  acre  of  land  he  converts  from 
the  wilderness  into  cultivation  is  his  own ;  every 
tree  he  fells,  adds  to  his  real  property.  These  are 
stimulants  that  will  naturally  operate  on  the  mind 
of  every  man,  to  urge  him  on  in  spite  of  a  little 
present  fatigue  and  privation  ;  to  make  every  ef- 
Cbrt  in  his  power  to  becorje  the  independent  pos- 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


133 


Bition 
must 
8  in- 

not. 
ppear 
They 
inces, 
sQem 

what 
ndure 
ure  of 

mind, 
stimu- 
ifficul- 
of  the 
Ling  on 
sr  he  or 
advan- 
iten  all 
y  every 
rts  from 
;  every 
[lese  are 
)e  mind 
•  a  little 
>very  ef- 
ent  pos- 


sessor of  the  soil  he  treads  on,  and  that  which  will 
supply  food  for  himself  and  family. 

On  the  Dundas-street,  about  fiileen  miles  far« 
thek*,  is  the  little  picturesque  town  of  Dundas,  si- 
tuated at  the  bottom  of  an  immensely  deep  glen ; 
the  road  ascends  for  many  miles  before  coming  to 
this  glen,  it  then  descends  at  least  three  miles,  and 
is  in  some  places  very  steep,  down  to  the  town  of 
Dundas.  It  is  a  little  compact,  neat  place,  of  some 
business  too.     There  are  four  or  five  stores  of  ra- 
ther a  superior  kind.     Dundas  is  a  place  that  will 
immediately  strike  the  traveller  who  has  ever  seen 
the  romantic  scenery  of  Switzerland.     It  is  sur- 
rounded on  every  side  by  hills,  rising  abruptly 
above  the  town,  which  are  traversed  in  every  di- 
rection by  circuitous  winding  paths  leading  to  the 
numerous  dwellings — ^built,  some  on  the  summit, 
and  others  on  the  sides  of  those  hHls.     Dundas  is 
a  second  Switzerland;   its  romantic  scenery  is 
worth  travelling  a  long  distance  to  see :  it  is  a  place 
of  considerable  trade  with  the  more  inland  country, 
and  likely  to  become  more  so.      A  canal,  called 
Desjardins'  Canal,  is  now  nearly  completed,  to 
communicate  between  Dundas  and  Hamilton,  a 
distance  of  five  miles,  where  it  unites  with  the  na- 
vigation at  the  head  of  Lake  Ontario.    In  this  part 
of  the  country,  there  is  quite  an  accumulation  of 


i> 


134 


CANADA    AS    IT    l!9. 


small  towns.  There  are  Dundas,  Ancastor,  and 
Hamilton,  all  places  of  considerable  business  and 
population,  and  all  within  ten  miles  of  each  other. 
Ancaster  is  much  larger  than  Dundas ;  it  is  a  place 
of  longer  standing,  and  more  business.  There 
are  no  other  parts  of  the  province  that  bear  com- 
parison with  this  neighborhood ;  the  roads,  tho 
buildings,  the  farms,  and  towns,  are  on  a  very  su- 
perior  scale  ;  the  inns  particularly,  are  conducted 
in  a  much  better  .style  than  those  in  many  other 
parts  of  the  province. 

Ancaster  is  a  prosperous  bustling  town  ;  it  has 
all  the  appearance  of  a  regular  established  place ; 
it  resembles  many  others,  when  its  prosperity  is 
insured  by  the  spirit  and  enterprise  of  its  inhabi- 
tants. Such  appears  to  be  the  character  of  the 
merchants  of  Ancaster ;  they  show  all  the  charac- 
teristics of  bustling  activity;  they  are  shop-keepers, 
merchants,  farmers,  potash-makers,  bankers — in 
fact,  they  unite  ail  the  chief  services  of  the  pros- 
perity of  the  country  within  themselves. 

Ancaster  lies  in  the  direct  road  to  the  now  at- 
tractive settlement  of  London,  in  the  western  dis- 
trict. This  settlement  is  about  eighty  miles  above 
Ancaster;  the  roads  all  "the  way  are  good.  The 
London  settlement  is  now  becoming  a  place  of  as 
mnch  attraction  as  any  new  place  in  the  province. 


CANADA    AS   IT   IS. 


139 


I 


It  is  situated  on  the  river  Thames,  flowing  into 
Lake  Erie.  There  are  the  towns  of  London,. 
Westminster,  Brentford,  Richmond,  Oxford,  and 
many  other  familiar  names,  all  newly  sprung  up 
here,  and  mostly  on  the  river  Thames.  The  lands 
in  this  part  of  the  province  are  without  doubt  the 
most  productive  of  any  in  the  country.  On  new 
land,  they  frequently  get  here  from  fifty  to  sixty 
bushels  of  wheat  to  an  acre.  If  they  can  averuge 
forty,  or  even  thirty,  at  the  price  that  wheat  has 
been  lately  realizing,  even  in  the  remotest  parts  of 
the  Upper  Province,  it  must  pay  well  >  Th^^y  hav*^ 
been  getting,  during  the  whole  of  this  last  seasofi. 
a  dollar  a  bushel.  Now  supposing  a  mnn  buys  a 
lot  of  land  at  four  dollars  an  acre,  wbtch  is  the 
highest  price  for  wild  land,  unless  in  peculiar  situa- 
tions, (be  it  observed  here,  that  all  purchasers  of 
land  in  this  country  ought  to  calculate,  that  out  of 
every  hundred  acres  he  buys,  he  must  expect,  upon 
an  average,  to  get  twenty  acres  of  uncultivatable 
land,)  consequently  it  will  cost  him  twenty-fivo 
shillings  an  acre,  the  cost  of  t*yenty  acres,  there- 
fore, would  be  twenty-five  pounds;  to  chop  it 
will  be  about  eight  d(  'lars  an  acre,  forty  pounds ; 
to  log,  burn,  and  fence  it,  about  eight  dollars  an 
acre  more,  another  forty  pounds ;  the  seed  neces- 
sary for  twenty  acres,  will  be  twenty  bushels-^ 


136 


«» 


CANADA.    AS   IT    IS. 


h?; 


N- 


twenty  dollars,  or  five  pounds;  a  bushel  of  wheat 
to  an  acre  is  quite  enough  for  new  land ;  if  more 
is  sown  it  ia  worse  than  a  loss  of  seed;  for  it  tends 
to  stifle  the  growth  of  the  whole ;  the  cutting, 
housing,  and  threshing  of  the  above  crop  would  be 
about  twenty  pounds  more,  making  a  total  outlay 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds.  Now  suppo- 
sing the  land  to  average  a  crop  of  thirty  bushels  to 
the  acre,  which  would  be  six  hundred  bushels,  at 
a  dollar  a  bushel — six  hundred  dollars — one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds  being  a  surplus  of  twenty 
|>ounds  over  the  whole  outlay ;  thus  the  first  crop 
would  pay  for  the  land,  clearing  it,  and  putting  it 
in  a  state  of  cultivation.  The  calculation  here 
made,  is  upon  the  consideration  that  the  settler 
hires  and  pays  for  all  the  laboi:  necessary  to  com- 
plete the  above  undertaking.  But  suppose  him  to 
be  an  industrious  character,  working  hard  himself, 
or  having  a  large  family,  with  sons  able  to  assist 
him,  by  wh  .h  means  he  might  be  able  to  do  all,  or 
nearly  all  within  himself.  What  an  important  sav- 
ing this  would  be !  and  people  with  large  families, 
if  well  brought  up,  have  a  much  better  chance  of 
succeec'ing  here  than  those  without. 

The  settlement  of  London  is  rapidly  accumula- 
ting, and  there  is  little  doubt  that  this  will  be  one 
of  the  finest  parts  of  Upper  Canada,  when  the 


CANADA   AS    IT   IS. 


13T 


vvheat 

more 

tends 

itting, 

lid  be 

outlay 

suppo- 

hels  to 

lels,  at 

16  hiin- 

twenty 

:st  crop 

itting  it 

>n  here 

settler 

to  com- 

3  him  to 

himself, 

bo  assist 

lo  all,  or 

ant  sav- 

families, 

[lance  of 

cumula- 
[  be  one 
^hen  the 


means  of  transport  for  their  surplus  produce  are 
better  established,  such  as  the  Welland  and  Rideau 
Canals,  &c.  There  are  many  persons  from  the 
older  settlements  flocking  to  this  new  place  of  at- 
traction. London  and  Westminster  are  but  yet 
very  sm^ll  and  thinly  populated  places,  but  in  the 
country  between  them  are  many  good  farms,  while 
the  lands  are  being  fast  taken  up,  and  the  trees  are 
rapidly  cut.  Oxford  is  already  a  pretty  little  vil- 
lage, containing  some  twenty  or  thirty  houses,  aud 
is  one  of  those  new  interesting  little  villages  just 
budding  into  existence.  The  remarkable  goodness 
of  the  roads  here,  as  well  as  the  fertility  of  the  soil» 
will  greatly  tend  to  the  increase  of  these  new  set- 
tlements. The  climate,  likewise,  is  more  tempe- 
rate than  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  province. 
Fruit  of  all  descriptions  grow  in  prodigious  quanti- 
ties, and  peaches,  in  particular,  are  plentiful 
enough  to  feed  pigs  on,  and  they  form  a  very  good 
and  fattening  food.  The  forest  in  this  part  has 
altogether  a  different  appearance  to  what  it  pre- 
sents in  any  other  part  of  the  province.  There 
is  little  or  no  underbrush.  The  trees  are  so  wide 
apart  in  some  places,  that  a  coach  and  six  might 
be  drawn  amongst  them,  and  the  timber  very  large 
and  tall,  a  circumstance  that  denotes,  amongst 
other  criterions,  the  richness  and  goodness  of  the 


.(\  i 


i^ 


i 


138 


CANADA.   AS   IT    IS. 


soil.  This  is  a  part  of  the  country  where  the  wild 
turkeys  will  occasionally  be  met  with ;  they  are 
sometimes  in  flocks  of  twenty  and  thirty  together ; 
they  are  larger  than  the  tame  turkeys,  sometimes 
.  weighing  thirty-seven  pounds ;  they  run  exceeding- 
ly fast,  and,  in  fact,  seldom  attempt  to  fly,  trusting 
to  the  swiflness  of  their  speed  in  running  as  their 
means  of  escape,  resembling,  in  this  respect,  the 
ostrich. 

Beyond  the  London  settlement,  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Erie,  is  the  celebrated  and  extensive  settle- 
ment of  Colonel  Talbot,  known  as  Talbot's  Settle- 
ment, extending  many  miles.  Colonel  Talbot,  the 
original  settler,  obtained  from  government  a  very 
extensive  grant  of  lands,  upon  the  condition  of  his 
making-  actual  settlements  on  it,  and  from  every 
settler  whom  he  can  induce  to  locate  on  a  lot  of 
land,  he  has  the  privilege  of  retaining  a  certain 
other  portion.  The  Colonel  has  been  here  many 
years,  has  a  very  large  farm  and  establishment, 
and  under  his  management  the  settlement  has  in- 
creased prodigiously.  It  is  the  extent  of  the  pro- 
vince in  this  direction,  being  on  the  borders  of 
liake  Erie,  which  divides  Canada  from  the  United 
States. 

Hamilton,  situated  at  the  verv  head  of  the  Lake 
Ontario,  is  about  ten  miles  below  Ancaster,  at  thd 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


139 


I  wild 
y  are 
jther ; 
^times 
eding- 
usting 
s  their 
ct,  the 

ores  of 

settle- 

Settle- 

[}ot,  the 

a  very 

n  of  his 

1  every 

a  lot  of 

certain 

•e  many 

shmentf 

has  in- 

the  pro- 

•ders  of 

United 

he  Lake 
)r,  at  th« 


head  of  Lake  Ontario ;  it  is  a  place  that  has  grown 
up  entirely  within  these  few  years,  as  about  five 
years  ago,  not  a  vestige  of  it  was  in  existence ;  it 
now  contains  a  population  of  fifteen  hundred  or 
two  thousand  inhabitants.  Lake  Ontario  is  rather 
of  a  triangular  shape,  about  two  hundred  miles  in 
length,  and  averaging  about  eighty  to  one  hun- 
dred miles  in  breadth^  taking  the  distance  from 
Prescott  to  York.  The  part  between  York  and 
Niagara  might  be  taken  as  absolutely  the  extent 
of  the  lake  itself,  but  at  this  portion  commences 
an  inlet  of  the  lake,  which  runs  up  fifty  miles,  at 
the  head  of  which  inlet  the  town  of  Hamilton  is 
built. 

The  accumulated  waters  of  this  country,  flowing 
into  a  comparatively  small  channel,  forms  a  matter 
of  deep  consideration  for  the  contemplative  mind ; 
here  are  the  waters  of  Ontario,  the  least  of  the 
three  sisters ;  Erie  next,  and  Huron  a  giantess  to 
either  of  them ;  and  all  these  inland  seas  pour 
their  united  torrents  into  the  noble  St.  Lawrence. 
In  addition  to  these,  are  the  waters  of  the  Ottawa, 
with  her  thousand  streams  forming  their  junction 
in  a  manner  truly  astonishing ;  the  wonder  natu- 
rally created  in  the  mind  is,  how  these  accumula- 
ted bodies  can  find  vent  in  a  stream  so  comparative- 
ly small ;  yet  such  is  the  fact.     Neither  Huron, 


11 


m\ 


I  ' 


* 


m 


i     ft  I 

■\\ 


140 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


Erie  nor  Ontario,  has  any  other  outlet,  and  Ottawa 
flows  immediately  into  Lake  St.  Louis,  and  there 
joins  the  St.  Lawrence ;  nor  is  the  St.  Lawrence  of 
that  depth,  to  account  satisfactorily  for  ihe  accu- 
mulation of  so  vast  a  body. 

The  I  xtont  of  the  vast  inland  resources  of  navi- 
gation if  .-tiis  country,  can  be  estimated  only  in  a 
very  minor  degree  by  the  appearance  even  of  thb 
St.  Lawrence ;  when  the  means  now  in  operation 
are  completed,  there  will  be  a  route  of  unbroken 
inland  navigation  for  a  distance  of  from  seven  hun- 
dred to  a  thousand  miles,  taking  the  route  from 
Lachine,  by  th^  Ottawa,  to  Grenville,  through  its 
canal  again  into  the  Ottawa  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Rideau  Canal,,  and  by  it  to  Kingston,  from  thence 
by  Lake  Ontario  to  the  Welland  Canal,  and  through 
which,  into  Lake  Erie.  These  great  water  com- 
munications offer  the  means  of  an  inland  naviga- 
tion, of  an  extent  probably,  unparalleled  in  the 
world.  What  an  amazing  extent  of  country  is 
here,  nine  tenths  and  more  of  which,  are  yet  in  a 
useless  state !  What  if  we  have  forty  thousand 
emigrants  out  this  season,  scatter  them  over  these 
provinces,  and  where  are  they  felt  ?  It  is  true,  that 
they  may  at  first  rush  in  like  a  torrent,  and  stop 
up  the  passages  leading  to  the  regular  and  natural 
channels  of  their  several  dostinatiouffrbut  let  them 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


141 


Spread  themselves  regularly  and  gradually  over  the 
country,  let  them  go  where  their  assistance  is  really 
wanted,  and  it  will  be  found  that  an  annual  ad- 
dition of  emigrants,  almost  to  any  amount,  is  what 
these  provinces  will  still  stand  in  need  of  for  many 
years  to  come. 

Hamilton,  mentioned  before,  at  the  head  of  On- 
tario, p.nd  immediately  ^communicating  with  its 
waters,  is  the  place  where  all  the  produce  coming 
from  Dundas,  Ancaster,  and  the  places  above,  is 
tiihipped  for  transportation  downward.  When  the 
canal  (Desjardins)  which  is  to  commvmicate  with 
Dundas,  &c.,  is  finished,  Hamilton  mu^t  become 
a  place  of  considerable  importance ;  it  i;:  already 
a  bustling,  busy  town,  increasing  fast  in  popula- 
tion, buildings,  and  trade,  and  is  a  great  tho- 
roughfare both  in  summer  and  winter ;  in  the  for- 
mer season  a  steamer  comes  up  from  York,  and 
another  daily  from  Niagara,  it  lies  also  in  the  im- 
mediate route,  by  land,  between  York  and  Niagara, 
and  also  takes  in  the  thoroughfare  from  the  Lon- 
don District,  the  settlements  on  the  shores  of 
Lake  Erie,  &c. ;  in  fact,  Hamilton  is  one  of  those 
new  places  just  dawning  into  prosperity  ;  not  that 
these  fcvmptoms  of  the  rising  importance  of  the 
country  are  confined  to  Hamilton  or  to  any  other 
given  place,  they  are  general  and  observable  in  every 

K2 


142 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


part  of  Canada,  and  while  she  enjoys  the  present 
liberal  policy  of  her  mother  country,  she  must  go 
oa  and  prosper  in  her  commorce  and  agricul- 
ture. .-        "■>.■  :' 

A  little  below  Hamilton  i;^  Burlington  l*ay, 
formed  in  a  singular  maimer  by  a  aanuw  i );  jal 
running  across  the  inlet,  about  four  miles  broad; 
it  is  canaled  in  one  part  for  the  passage  of  vessels. 
Hamilton  is  situated  exceedingly  low,  beiiig  sur- 
rounded by  high  lands  on  ail  sidetj,  y  *  it  appears 
not  to  be  an  unhealthy  place,  although,  in  hot 
weather,  immense  vapors  arise  here,  but  they  as- 
eeod,  and  consequently,  these  residing  in  the  low- 
est situations  feel  the  least  effect  from  them.  A 
few  years  ago,  the  fever  and  ague  was  very  preva- 
lent, and  it  was  remarked  that  those  who  resided 
in  the  most  elevated  situations,  had  it  the  most 
severely,  indeed,  the  same  remarks  have  applied 
to  many  other  places.  These  diseases,  however, 
are  pu^*ely  local,  and  they  recede  as  the  country 
becomes  cleared  and  open ;  in  fact,  in  the  forest 
the  natural  climate  of  the  country  has  not  a  fair 
chance ;  there  is  but  little  admission  either  of  air  or 
sun,  from  the  thick  foliage  of  the  almost  impervious 
forest,  all  is  stagnant  and  humid  ;  but  clear  away 
those  impediments,  open  the  country,  admit  a  free 
current  of  air  and  the  influence  of  the  sun,  and 


"^^aidUHjUiiU  JUL  ir'imu 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


143 


there  will  not  be  found  a  healthier  climate  in  the 
world. 

The  tour  of  inhabited  Canada  is  now  very  near- 
ly made,  but  the  most  interesting  wonder  of  the 
country,  and  that  which  is  equally  the  astonish- 
ment and  wonder  of  the  world,  remains  yet  to  be 
seen,  and  such  is  the  intense  interest  excited  by 
.his  stupendous  work  of  nature,  that  ii  person  who 
has  seen  them  ninety  and  nine  times,  would  be 
equally  anxious   to   view    them    the  hundredth. 

The  Falls  of  Niagara  are  about  sixty  miles 
from  Hamilton,  the  road  from  that  place  to  the 
town  of  Niagara  being  fifty  miles,  and  almost  all 
by  the  lake  shores.  The  first  place  of  any  conse- 
quence, after  leaving  Hamilton,  is  the  pretty  little 
town  of  St.  Catharine,  situated  in  the  centre  of  a 
finely*  settled  and  cleared  country ;  it  contains 
about  a  thousand  inhabitants,  the  houses  and  build- 
ings are  exceedingly  good,  and  its  site  is  on  a 
rising  ground,  which  keeps  the  place  at  all  times 
dry  and  clean.  The  face  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try assumes  quite  a  diflferent  appearance  to  that 
apparent  in  many  other  parts  of  Canada.  The 
forest  can  be  seen  only  at  intervals,  here  is  a 
continuation  of  farms  upon  rather  a  large  scale, 
extensive  tracts  of  cleared  country,  hill  and 
dale,  all  open  to  view,  with  the  comfortable  look- 

K3 


144 


CANADA    AS   IT   IS. 


ing  farmhouse,  snug  and  compact  outbuildings, 
regularly  square  laid  out  fields,  all  well  fenced, 
and  i:'>ne  of  those  common  excrescences  of  the 
countr)   ^:he  stumps. 

The  town  of  Niagara  is  situated  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Niagara  River,  on  the  shores  of  Lake  On- 
tario, eighteen  miles  below  the  falls,  and  is  the 
largest  and  best  town  on  the  western  side  of  the 
lake.  This  part  of  the  country  is  called  the  Gar- 
den of  Upper  Canada,  and  certain  it  is,  that  the 
climate  here,  though  only  thirty-six  miles  across 
the  lake  from  York,  is  much  milder.  Grapes 
grow  here  to  a  large  size,  also  cherries,  and  in 
fact,  all  descriptions  of  fruit  in  prodigious  quanti- 
ties, and  vegetables  are  raised  nearly  a  month 
earlier  than  at  York.  Niagara  is  not  by  any  means 
a  place  of  the  commercid  importance  of  York, 
nor  has  it  the  numerous  settled  townships  pre- 
sented in  the  vicinity  of  that  place,  it  will  be  ob- 
served, that  this  is  the  extent  <if  the  British  terri- 
tories in  Upper  Canada,consequently,  it  has  not  the 
number  of  back  settlements  to  support  its  trade  as 
is  the  case  with  its  sister  town,  still  Niagara  is 
considered  of  sufficient  importance  to  send  a  re- 
presentative to  the  house  of  assembly.  Niagara 
is  not  considered  so  healthy  a  situation  as  some 
other  parts  of  the  province,  being  very  subject  to 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


145 


the  lake  fever,  certain  it  is,  that  the  inhabitants 
generally,  have  not  so  healthy  an  appearance,  they 
have  a  yellowish  kind  of  color,  and  are  termed  the 
yellow  heads ;  the  town  is  a  very  great  thorough- 
fare in  the  summer,  it  lies  in  the  immediate  way 
from  York  to  the  States,  and  to  the  falls ;  and  t]\e 
immense  numbers  of  visiters  flocking  to  and  from 
the  falls,  in  the  course  of  the  season,  is  a  matter 
of  no  small  consideration  to  the  town,  and  renders  it 
very  animated  and  gay ;  numerous  parties  of  plea- 
sure from  the  States  make  this  their  regular  tour  in 
the  summer ;  from  hence  to  York,  down  the  Onta- 
fio  to  Montreal,  Quebec,  &c. 

Seven  miles  above  Niagara,  on  the  immediate 
bapks  of  the  river,  is  Queenston,  a  neat  placet 
(Standing  on  very  high  ground,  the  banks  of  the 
river  are  here  exceedingly  steep  and  high)  the  river 
is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide  and  very  rapid. 
Queenston  was  the  scene  of  many  a  sanguinary  con- 
ilict  during  the  last  w^ir,  between  the  British  and 
American  forces,  it  was  here  that  the  lamented  and 
brave  General  Brock,  the  hero  of  Upper  Canada 
lost  his  life,he  fell  while  gallantly  leading'his  troops. 
This  place  immediately  fronts  Lewiston,  the  Ame- 
rican frontier  town  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
river  Niagara.  Lewiston  is  a  handsome  town, 
which  appears  to  be  newly  built,  it  is  already  a 

K4 


it 


146 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


place  of  some  consequence  ;  there  are  stages  run- 
ning daily  from  hence  to  Buffalo,  Rochester,  Lock- 
port,  Albany,  New- York,  &c.  &c. 

Queenston  is  eleven  miles  from  the  falls,  and  if 
the  weather  be  still  and  calm  a  rumbling  noise  may 
be  heard,  it  increases  more  and  more,  now  pro- 
ducing the  noise  of  distant  thunder,  still  louder  and 
louder,  till  at  last  it  becomes  a  terrific  roar :  no- 
thing can  yet  be  seen  of  the  falls,  the  river  is  rapid 
and  its  banks  are  very  steep,  the  mind  of  the  tra- 
veller is  prepared  for  something  extraordinary, 
every  moment  the  long  anticipated  delight  is  ex- 
pected, but  when  it  bursts  on  the  view,  no  pen 
can  describe  the  sensations  of  amazement  that  are 
excited  by  first  beholding  those  wondrous  objects 
of  sublimity  and  grandeur,  the  mind  becomes  lost 
in  the  mazes  of  its  own  reflections. 

Hark  !  on  the  winds,  methinks  I  hear  the  roar 
Of  '*  Waters — 'tis  a  voice  from  that  dark  gulf" 
Where  Erie  meets  Ontario — and  it  comes 
Like  the  d<  >p  yoll  of  many  wandering  spirits. 
Niagara!  who  that  has  ever  seen 
Thy  torrents  of  a  tliousand  streams  and  lakes, 
Their  dark  deep  foaming  mass  of  waters  pour 
Into  thy  foaming  chasm  of  death,  or  gaz'd 
As  it  did  rush,  as  'twere,  from  the  infinite  height 
Of  Heaven,  and  seem'd  as  it  had  hence  brought  down; 
The  rainbow,  blast,  and  thunder,  such  the  light 
Around  thy  brow,  and  sudden  rush  of  winds — 
And  ceaseless,  ponderous  peals  of  sound, — or  who 
Hath  been  beneath  these  everlasting  walls 
Of  tumbling  torrent,  and  unshaken  rock. 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


14T 


run- 
jock- 


oar 
f" 


igHt 

ght  dowiiB 
ght 

)!•  who 


Arch'd  as  a  palace  oi  .najnrnificcncc, 
Where  nature  reigns  in  dark  sii1)Hmity, 
And  felt  not  an  oppressive  sense  of  power 
And  majesty  of  Him,  who  thus  doth  pour 
The  cataract  from  his  palm. 

Niagara!  if  now  thou'rt  grand — 
Far  grander  still,  when  haunts  of  men  were  not 
Upon  thy  shore,  and  the  vast  solitude 
Of  boundless,  trackless  wilderness,  through  which 
Thou'st  worn  thy  deep  and  rock-bound  path,  appeared, 
Awe  struck,  to  tremble  at  thy  dreadful  voice. 

About  five  miles  above  the  cataract,  the  river 
•expands  to  the  dimensions  of  a  lake,  after  which 
it  gradually  narrows ;  the  rapids  commence  at  the 
upper  extremity  of  Goat  Island,  which  is  half  a 
mile  in  length,  and  divides  the  river  at  the  point 
of  precipitation  into  two  unequal  parts,  the  largest 
is  distinguished  by  the  several  names  of  Horse- 
shoe, Crescent  and  British  Fall,  from  its  semicircu- 
lar form  and  contiguity  to  the  Canadian  shore ; 
the  smaller  is  named  the  American  Fall,  which  is 
divided  by  a  rock  from  Goat  Island.  The  cur- 
rent runs  about  six  miles  an  hour,  but  supposing 
it  to  be  only  five,  the  quantity  of  water  which 
passes  the  falls  in  an  hour  is  more  than  85,000,000 
of  tons  avoirdupois  ;  if  we  suppose  it  to  be  six,  it 
will  be  more  than  102,000,000,  and  in  a  day  would 
exceed  24,000,000,000  of  tons. 

On  visiting  the  cavern  beneath  the  fall,  the  tra- 
veller sbould  take  advantage  of  a  fine  morning, 

K6 


148 


CANADA    AS    IT    18. 


and  after  providing  himself  with  a  guide,  set  out  as 
early  as  six  o'clock,  that  he  might  have  the  advan- 
tage of  the  sun  upon  the  waters,  he  should  disen- 
cumber himself  of  such  garments  as  he  does  not 
care  to  have  wetted  ;  descending  the  circular  lad- 
der, he  follows  the  course  of  the  path  running 
along  the  top  of  the  delris  of  the  precipice,  and  hav- 
ing pursued  this  tract  for  about  eighty  yards,  in 
the  course  of  which  he  will  get  completely  drench- 
ed, he  finds  himself  close  to  the  cataract,  although 
enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  spray,  the  direction  of  the 
path  and  the  nature  of  the  cavern  about  to  be  en- 
tered may  be  readily  distinguished :  the  difficulty 
in  respiration  is  very  great  when  surrounded  by 
the  spray,  and  afler  being  blown  about,  and  buffet- 
ted  by  the  wind,  stunned  by  the  noise,  and  blinded 
by  the  spray,  (each  successive  giist  penetrating  the 
very  bones  with  cold,)  he  at  length  arrives,and  hav- 
ing collected  his  senses  by  degrees,  the  wonders 
of  this  cavern  slowly  develope  themselves ;  it  is 
impossible  to  describe  the  strangiB  unnatural  light 
reflecting  through  its  crystal  walls,  the  roar  of  the 
waters  and  the  blasts  of  the  hurricane,  which  per- 
petually rages  in  its  recesses.  The  cavern  is  tole- 
rably light,  and  the  sun  may  clearly  be  distinguish- 
ed through  the  watery  barrier ;  the  fall  of  the  cata- 
ract is  nearly  perpendicular,  the  bank  over  which 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


149 


t  as 


it  is  precipitated  is  of  a  concave  form,  owing  to  its 
upper  stratum  being  composed  of  limestone,  and 
its  base  of  soil  sl^bstone,  which  has  been  eaten 
away  by  the  constant  attrition  of  the  recoiling 
waters.  The  cavern  is  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  in  height,  fifty  in  breadth,  and  three 
hundred  in  length.  There  is  one  other  point 
which  may  be  visited,  except  the  wind  blow  full 
upon  the  sheet  of  the  cataract,  when  it  drives  the 
water  with  great  force  against  a  point  of  the  rock 
which  must  be  passed,  and  thus  cuts  off  the  com- 
munication: a  few  yards  beyond,  the  precipice 
becomes  perpeadicular  and  blends  with  the  water, 
forming  the  extremity  of  the  cave ;  the  eel  and  the 
water-snake  crawl  about  its  recesses  in  considera- 
ble numbers. 

In  'September,  1827,  a  very  singular  and  inte- 
resting spectacle,  of  which  due  notice  had  been 
given  for  months  before,  took  place  at  the  Falls  of 
Niagara ;  from  ten  to  tweh.  e  thousand  persons 
from  all  parts  oFthe  Ganadas  and  the  United  States 
were  present.  There  are  three  good  and  exten- 
sive hotels  near  the  falls,  and  the  proprietors,  with 
the  view  of  attracting  the  attention  of  the  compa- 
ny, purchased  an  old  sloop,  called  the  Michigan, 
which  had  been  a  lake  vessel  for  some  years,  of 
about  four  hundred  tons  burden,  to  descend,  or 


I 


160 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS.' 


rather  to  be  hurled,  over  the  falls.  The  extreme 
novelty  of  the  sight,  had  attracted  immense  bodies 
of  people,  and  what  added  kighly  to  the  curiosity 
was,  that  her  crew  consisted  of  wild  animals ;  there 
were  shipped  on  board,  a  few  miles  above  the  falls^ 
two  huge  bears,  two  wolves,  some  racoons,  foxes, 
deer,  pigs,  geese,  &c.  &c.  She  was  towed  down 
the  lake,  very  near  the  falls,  by  the  Queenston 
steam-boat ;  when  the  Michigan  got  near  to  the 
precipice,  she  went  over  on  one  side,  of  which  ac- 
cident, the  bears,  more  on  the  alert  than  their  bro- 
ther shipmates,  took  prompt  advantage,  for  they 
no  sooner  found  the  vessel  stranded,  than  they 
made  a  plunge  in  the  water  and  swam  safely  to  the 
shore,  to  the  no  small  diversion  of  the  bystanders; 
the  vessel,  however,  soon  righted  and  came  over 
the  precipice  (a  fall  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet) 
-with  a  most  tremendous  crash — she  broke  right  in 
two,  and  the  only  living  animal  taken  out  of  her 
was  one  of  the  geese. 

There  is  an  idea  entertained,  and  by  no  means 
an  unfeasible  one,  that  the  falls  at  one  time  were 
much  farther  down  the  river  towards  Ontario,  or 
even  quite  near  the  lake  itself,  this  is  by  no  means 
improbable,  for  the  perpetual  attrition  of  the  waters, 
on  a  substance  however  hard,  it  may  be,  must  in 
the  space  of  time  considerably  wear  it  away ;  a 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


151 


gentleman,  who  lives  close  by  the  falls,  has  ob- 
served, that  within  the  period  of  his  residence  here, 
they  have  visibly  receded. 

The  great  accumulation  of  visiters  to  the  falls, 
in  the  course  of  a  season,  affords  a  rich  harvest  to 
the^hotel  keepers  and  others  who  live  in  their  im- 
mediate vicinity,  and  they  are  always  on  the  alert 
to  devise  some  novel  and  extraordinary  feat,  inde- 
pendant  of  the  natural  attractiveness  of  the  place. 
To  amuse  and  prolong  the  stay  of  visiters,  for  some 
seasons  past,  they  have  had  an  annual  fall  jumper, 
in  the  person  of  Sam  Patch,  who  has  since  at 
one  fell  swoop,  jumped  into  another  world ;  this 
Sam  Patch  made  the  leap  of  Niagara  Falls  more 
than  once  with  safety,  he  jumped  from  the  top  of 
the  precipice  of  the  highest  fall,  into  the  gulf 
below,  an  undertaking  of  unparalleled  boldness. 
The  tremendous  rushing  of  the  waters  into  the 
cauldron  below,  the  perpetual  foaming  and  roar- 
ing of  the  troubled  elehient,  the  immense  height  of 
the  torrent,  and  all  the  features  of  this  vast  scene, 
are  quite  enough  to  appal  the  mind  of  any  beholder; 
but  for  a  man  to  hurl  himself  from  the  top,  and 
plunge  into  the  foaming  waters  below,  shows  a 
daring  of  no  ordinary  stamp ;  however,  this  man 
performed  it  with  safety,  he  came  out  quite  unhurt 
at  a  short  distance  below  the  falls.     At  another 


■';{ 


1 


4 

I'i 


i' 

!l 
II  1 


:l 


I 

I 
I 


152 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


place  he  repeated  this  feat  once  too  often  ;  he  was; 
hired  to  jump  the  Genesee  Falls  some  miles  below 
Rochester,  in  the  States  :  the  Genesee  Falls  arc 
small  when  compared  with  those  of  Niagara,  and  in 
order  still  to  increase  the  novelty  of  the  scene,  a 
stage  was  erected  at  the  top  of  the  fall,  so  as  to  ele- 
vate the  height  of  the  jumpthat  this  unfortunate  man 
was  to  make,  it  is  said  that  he  was  somewhat  in  li- 
quor at  the  time,  he  flung  himself  off  and  never  was 
seen  alive  again ;  he  was  taken  out  of  the  water 
a  few  miles  below  the  falls  quite  dead  ;  it  was  said 
he  lost  his  usual  confidence  at  this  last  attempt. 

Birds. — The  feathered  tribes  of  Canada  are  ex- 
tremely numerous ;  many  of  the  kinds  are  to  be 
seen  only  at  stated  times  of  the  year;  indeed  there 
are  many  different  species,  known  only  to  those 
who  happen  to  go  into  the  peculiar  parts  of  the 
country  which  they  inhabit ;  and,  as  has  been  be- 
fore observed,  no  kind  of  '  ird;^,  and  scarcely  any 
living  wild  animal,  is  fo  be  >  jcn  here  in  the  dead 
of  winter;  in  fact,  "  :  :.  i  productions  of  this 
country  are  on>  t<  c  l^u^^wn  by  a  residence  of 
some  years,  aj  i  I  s-  oaly  by  penetrating  the  fo- 
rest^ and  close!/  o.^serving  its  almost  hidden  pro- 
ductions, that  any  ju^t  idert  can  be  formed  of  its 
natural  capabi'itieK 

The  Canadian  Partridge  or  Pheasant,  is  nearly 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


153 


as  large  as  the  European  Hen  Pheasant,  of  much 
the  same  color,  and  spotted  on  the  breast ;  but 
the  most  remarkable  feature  in  the  Canadian  Par- 
tridge is  its  tail,  which  is,  when  spread,  the  shape 
and  size  of  a  fan,  it  has  decidedly  more  the  habits 
of  the  pheasant  than  of  the  partridge,  it  pitches  in 
the  trees,  and  has  the  same  motion  when  on  the 
ground,  with  many  other  habits  peculiar  to  the 
pheasant  at  home,  its  flesh  too  is  very  similar  in 
flavor  and  delicacy  of  appearance ;  the  hen  lays 
fourteen  or  sixteen  eggs ;  they  have  a  v^ry  singu- 
lar habit,  in  the  laying  season,  which  is  termed 
drumming,  it  is  the  cock  bird  calling  his  mate  ; 
this  he  does  by  perching  on  a  log-  of  wood  or  a 
stump,  and  about  every  ten  minutes,  through  the 
day,  he  makes  a  buzzing  kind  of  noise  by  flutter- 
ing his  wings  and  feathers  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
ends  by  flapping  his  wings  hard  against  his  sides 
in  repeated  strokes,  which  at  a  little  distance  has 
very  much  the  sound  of  a  muffled  irum  ;  this  habit 
often  proves  fatal  to  them,  for  thoy  are  easily  dis- 
covered by  this  noise,  and  although  it  is  at  a  time 
of  the  year  when  they  ougjit  not  to  be  killed,  the 
settler  does  not  often  scruple  to  do  so,  being  sel-^ 
dom  guided  by  true  sportsmanlike  principles  ;  the 
Canadian  Partridge  is  at  all  times  a  stupid  bird^ 
and  a  person  may  approach  very  near  to  theniv 


i 


I 

h  ■ 


f54 


CANADA    AS   IT    ISi 


They  sonnetimes  flock  together  in  coveys,  "but  in 
general  are  to  be  seen  only  by  two  or  three  toge- 
ther. It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  should  there  be  a 
dozen  or  more  of  these  birds  on  a  tree,  the  sports- 
man may  keep  firing,  provided  he  take  the  lowest 
bird  first  at  each  shot,  and  insure  himself  the  whole 
covey,  but  he  must  not  stop  to  pick  them,  up,  but 
keep  on  firing  till  they  are  all  killed ;  by  taking 
the  under  bird  at  each  shot,  so  that  it  does  not  fall 
to  disturb  any  of  the  others,  and  keeping  up  the 
noise  by  firing  or  whistling,  he  attracts  their  at- 
tention  and  keeps  them  from  flying  away. 

The  bird  that  most  resembles  the  European 
Partridge  in  all  but  in  disparity  of  size,  is  called 
here  the  quail;  they  are  precisely  the  same  in  form 
and  color,  and  have  :.'".  i\e  habits  peculiar  to  those 
birds ;  they  keep  together  in  coveys  of  considera- 
ble numbers ;  they  are  to  be  met  with  in  the  field 
after  the  grain  is  taken  away;  they  never  pitch  in 
bushes  or  trees ;  they  fly  low,  have  the  same  creep- 
ing nianner  of  moving*  and  are  in  every  respect 
^he  same  kind  of  bird ;  they  are  very  fat  and  deli- 
cious eating,  but  are  rarely  if  ever  seen  in  the 
northern  parts  of  Canada;  they  are  very  numerous 
near  and  above  York,  and  in  the  upper  districts. 
There  is  to  be  seen  occasionally,  in  the  winter, 
neax  the  Ottawa,  the  White  Partridge,  the  par- 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


155 


tridge  inhabiting  any  part  of  Upper  Canada,  as 
high  as  fifly  miles  above  the  Chats,  do  not  turn 
white,  as  has  been  stated  by  some  writers,  they 
retain  their  brown  color  all  the  winter ;  those  which 
are  seen  about  that  neighborhood  are  migraters 
from  the  north  west. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  plovers,  the  gray  and  the 
black  and  white,  the  gray  plover  is  mostly  to  be 
seen  in  the  fall  of  the  year;  they  are  a  very  shy 
bird,  fat  and  good  eating ;  the  black  and  white 
plover,  though  very  rarely  seen  in  northern  Canada, 
are  io  be  met  with  in  immense  flocks  above  York, 
and  in  the  western  districts,  so  much  so  as  some- 
times to  darken  the  air;  they  are  much  larger  than 
the  gray  plover:  the  plover,  like  the  pigeon,  is 
not  a  native  of  Canada,  but  migrates  from  the  south; 
they  are  met  at  some  periods  of  the  year  crossing 
and  recrossing  the  lakes  in  the  upper  country, 
thus  they  must  fly  some  hundreds  of  miles  at  a 
stretch.  Woodcocks  are  plenty  in  the  low  marshy 
parts  of  the  country,  they  are  not  more  than  two 
thirds  the  si  ze  of  the  English  Woodcock,  but  are 
much  the  same  in  color  and  richness  of  flavor. 
The  Canadian  Snipe  is  very  nearly  the  same  as 
that  of  Europe.  ^    .  i  . 

There  are  four  kinds  of  woodpeckers  in  Canada? 
the  black,  the  brown  and  red,  or  pigeon  woodpeck- 


^* 


156 


CANADA    AS    IT    ISi 


er,  the  white  and  red,  and  the  small  speckled  ;  the 
black  woodpecker,  or  cock  of  the  woods,  as  he 
is  generally  called,  is  something  larger  than  a 
pigeon,  and  is  a  handsome  bird ;  the  body  is  black ; 
under  the  wings  yellow  and  white ;  a  bright  crimson 
tuft  on  the  cap  of  its  head,  with  a  white  ring  round 
the  eyes;  it  has  a  remarkably  strong,  clear  and 
shrill  note,  and  is  a  prognosticator  of  the  weather, 
for  it  is  generally  remarked,  that  when  it  is  more 
vociferous  than  usual,  it  portends  rain ;  it  has  an 
amazingly  strong  beak,  and  a  tongue  that  will  ex- 
tend nearly  a  foot  in  length,  the  end  of  which  is 
tipped  with  a  hard  bony  substance,  and  bores  the 
same  as  a  gimblet ;  this  bird  keeps  mostly  in  the 
woods.  Woodpeckers  in  general,  are  great  fore- 
warners  of  danger,  for  they  leave  those  unequivocal 
marks  in  all  the  rotten  and  decayed  trees,  by  which 
means  they  are  easily  discovered  in  the  forests. 

The  brown  or  pigeon  woodpecker,  is  ^bout  the 
same  size  as  a  pigeon ;  this  is  also  a  handsome 
bird ;  it  is  of  a  bright  yellowish  brown,  speckled  on 
the  breast ;  a  tuft  of  gold  color  on  its  back,  with  a 
red  poll.  This  bird  mostly  frequents  the  open 
cleai'inceo,  and  is  sometimes  seen  in  flocks  to- 
gether.    They  arc  good  eating. 

The  small  speckled  woodpecker  appears  to  be  a 
solitarv  bird,  seldom  seen  in  company,  and  inhabit- 


ing the 
appear 
and  ne 

The 
is  alwa 
the  bui 
fighting 
ends  in 
a  smal 
and  wi 
birds  iti 
concep 
roof  ho 
&c.,  ar 
the  san 

Som 
treme  r 
conspic 
dinal  i' 
westeri 
rarely ; 
dinal  is 
streaks 
what  si 
high  di^ 
bird;  tl 


CANADA   AS    IT    IS. 


157 


;  the. 
IS  he 


e  open 
cks  to- 

to  be  a 
inhabit 


ing  the  secluded  part  of  the  woods ;  it  is  small,  but 
appears  to  possess  prodigious  strength  in  its  head 
and  neck. 

The  white  and  red,  or  quarrelsome  woodpecker, 
is  always  to  be  found  in  the  clearances  and  about 
the  buildings ;  they  are  eternally  quarrelling  and 
fighting  with  each  other,  which  sometimes  even 
ends  in  the  death  of  one  of  them.   They  are  rather 
a  small  bird,  white  on  the  back,  with  black  breasts 
and  wings,  and  red  heads ;  the  noise  which  these 
birds  make  in  boring  with  their  beaks,  is  beyond 
conception;    they  do  great  mischief  in  shingled 
roof  houses,  which  they  bore  to  get  at  the  grubs, 
&c.,  and  which  sounds,  to  a  person  in  the  inside, 
the  same  as  the  boring  of  an  auger. 

Some  of  the  birds  of  this  country,  are  of  ex- 
treme richness  and  brilliancy  of  plumage,  the  most 
conspicuous  of  which  is  the  cardihal.  The  car- 
dinal is  a  bird  only  to  be  seen  in  the  extreme 
western  parts  of  the  upper  province,  and  then  but 
rarely ;  it  is  more  common  in  the  States  ;  the  car- 
dinal is  so  named  from  its  having,  longitudinally, 
streaks  on  its  body,  of  scarlet  and  black,  some- 
what similar  to  the  splendid  robes  worn  by  those 
high  dignitaries ;  it  is  about  the  size  of  the  black- 
bird ;  the  colors  of  its  plumage  are  inconceivably 

L 


J  58 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


bright,  and  it  has  an  appearance,  when  flying,  of 
dazzling  splendor. 

The  fire  bird  is  of  a  deep  red  colour,  with  a  little 
black  on  its  head  and  wings  ;  it  is  about  the  size  of 
the  lark,  and  is  to  be  seen  in  most  parts  of  the 
province. 

The  Canadian  King-fisher  is  about  the  same  size 
as  the  European,  very  much  inferior  with  regard  to 
brilliancy  of  plumage,  being  rather  an  ugly  bird,  but 
precisely  the  same  in  its  habits. 

The  Loon  is  a  singular  bird,  it  inhabits  the  water, 
is  never  seen  out  of  it,  and  is  therefore  never  seen 
to  fly ;  it  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  goose,  and  has  a 
black  head,  with  a  white  ring  round  its  neck,  and 
speckled  body;  its  sl:in  i3  so  thick,  tough  and 
strong,  that  bags  are  made  of  it  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  any  thing  from  wet ;  the  Loon  is  continually 
diving  in  the  water  after  the  fish  ;  it  is  extremely 
diflicult  to  kill. 

Of  all  the  singular  and  interesting  little  members 
of  the  feathered  community,  the  Humming  Bird 
stands  the  foremost ;  it  is  a  native  of  the  States, 
but  migrates  in  the  summer,  and  is  occasionally 
seen  in  all  parts  of  the  Cauadas  ;  they  are  of  dif- 
ferent colors  and  sizes  ;  some  ar«  not  much  larger 
than  a  cock-chnfcr ;  their  color  can  scarcely  be 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


i5d 


ig,  of 

L  little 
size  of 
of  the 

le  size 
ravd  to 
id, but 

watcrt 
jr  seen 
d  has  a 
ck,  and 
gh  and 
eserva- 
tinually 
tremely 

lembers 
ig  Bird 
5  Statest 
Lsionally 
J  of  dif- 
;h  larger 
rcely  bo 


descried  until  they  are  caught,  for  they  arc  in 
an  incessant  buz  and  flutter  ;  they  appear  seldom 
to  alight  on  any  thing,  but  in  their  continual  flut- 
tering, they  dip  their  little  beaks  first  in  one  flower 
and  then  in  another ;  they  seem  to  live  entirely  by 
the  suction  they  derive  from  different  flowers,  par- 
ticularly from  the  blossom  of  scarlet  beans;  they  are 
of  a  variety  of  colors,  green,  blue,  yellow,  purple, 
&c.,  the  only  way  io  shoot  them  is  to  load  a  gun 
with  sand  instead  of  shot.  Under  no  circumstances 
can  the  humming  bird  be  tamed,  or  bear  the  least 
confinement. 

There  are    two  kinds  of   owls    in  Canada; 
they  are  both  large,  the  smallest  kind  is  larger 
than  the  common  owl  at  home  ;  they  make  a  most 
horrible  screeching  noise  in  the  night,  and  in  the 
forests  it  is  heard  for  miles  when  the  weather  is 
calm ;  the  largest  kind  is  the  horned  owl,  which  is 
an  immense  bird,  much  larger  in  body  than  the 
turkey ;  this  owl,  with  its  pointed  horns  and  im- 
mense glaring  eyes,  has  a  most  terrific  appearance, 
particularly  when  come   upon    suddenly  in    the 
woods,  for  they  g?nerally  appear   sleeping;  and 
when  first  disturbed,  they  look  as  if  they  would  at 
once  devour  you ;  these  birds  are  fortunately  not 
very  numerous  ;  they  sometimes  do  much  mischief 
hy  devouring  fowls,  geese,  turkeys,  and  even  young 

L2 


•»'^Pf  IT''" 


160 


CANADA    AS    IT    IJ. 


pigs ;  they  have  in  many  respects  more  of  the  fo» 
rocity  and  habits  of  the  hawk. 

or  hawks  there  are  four  kinds,  the  largest  is  the 
hen  hawk,  which  is  very  large,  a^id  will  be  often 
seen  hovering  around  the  houses  and  barns,  and 
if  an  opportunity  offer  it  will  dart  down  and  take 
up  a  hen  or  a  chicken,  or  indeed  both  in  his  talonsy 
and  fly  off  with  them ;  the  next  in  size  is  the  fish- 
ing hawk,  this  bird  is  a  most  expert  fisherman,  it 
sits  watching  on  the  brink  of  the  stream,  and  the 
histant  a  fish  appears,  it  dives  into  the  water,  and 
seldom  fails  in  obtaining  its  prey  ;  it  is  a  singular 
sight  to  see  them  fl}  ing  through  the  air,  with  pro- 
bably a  large  pike  or  other  fish  securely  locked  in 
their  tajons ;  the  sparrow  hawk  is  of  the  smallest 
description,  its  prey  is  on  small  birds ;  the  night 
hawk  is  a  curious  bird,  appearing  only  at  night ;  it 
ascends  through  the  night  with  rapid  flight  to  an 
immense  height,  and  then  suddenly  drops  itself  to 
the  ground  as  if  shot ;  this  is  probably  some  ma- 
noeuvre to  catch  the  numerous  flies  that  hover  in 
the  air  by  night. 

There  is  in  Canada  a  pretty  singing  bird  called 
Tom-o-lincoln,  it  is  about  the  size  of  the  black-bird, 
it  is  generally  to  be  seen  in  meadows,  perched  in 
small  bushes,  and  sings  most  melodiously  and  in 
great  variety  of  notes. 


CANADA   AS   IT   18. 


16t 


fc 


Tho  Canadian  Nightingale  is  the  evening  song- 
ster of  the  forest ;  as  the  sun  is  taking  his  final 
leave,  the  chaste  notes  of  the  nightingale  are  heard 
thrilling  through  the  deep  recesses  of  the  woods  ; 
there  is  a  peculiar  plaintiveness  in  them,  yet  sweet 
and  melodious  in  their  effect. 

The  Thrush  is  a  bird  much  the  same  in  size  as 
the  English  Thrush,  but  '    orent  in  colour,  it  is  of 
a  dingy  yellow,  with  a  *'        'ong  tail ;  it  sings  har- 
moniously, and  in  otl  yects  precisely  the 
same  as  that  of  Europe. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  starlings  are  observed  in 
large  flocks,  to  proclaim  the  approach  of  winter. 

The  Canadian  Black-bird  is  generally  to  be  found 
in  marshy  pkces ;  it  is  about  the  size  of  the  thrusht 
of  a  glossy  black  colour,  having  some  red  on  the 
tip  of  its  wings. 

Snow  bird  :  this  is  a  bird  that  is  never  seen  but 
when  the  snow  is  on  the  ground ;  it  is  much  about 
the  size  of  the  lark,  with  a  considerable  portion  of 
white  in  its  color :  they  fly  in  very  large  flocks. 

The  Canadian  Lark  is  in  size  much  the  same  as 
the  English  Sky  Lark,  but  it  keeps  entirely  on  the 
ground. 

The  goldfinch  or  canary  is  more  in  colour  like 
the  latter,  being  of  a  bright  yellow,  or  gold  color, 

L3 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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1.1 


125 


|S0     "^™       ■■ 

1^  iU   12.2 
^   lit£    12.0 


L25  iU  11.6 


'># 


71 


HiotDgraphic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WBT  MAIN  STRUT 

WfUTH.N.Y.  M5M 

(7U)  §72-4503 


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k^' 


J\ 


s:^ 


0^ 


<\ 


1^2 


CANADA    AS   IT   IS. 


intermixed  with  a  little  black ;  it  appears  to  be  of 
the  same  habits  as  the  goldfinch  at  home. 

Of  sparrows  there  are  three  kinds,  which  appear 
to  have  much  the  same  habits  as  sparrows  in  gene- 
ral, but  widely  difierent  in  color;  the  first  and 
largest  is  a  bird  not  generally  seen  till  the  fall ;  it 
is  of  a  bright  azure  color  and  looks  very  pretty ; 
thie  next  is  smaller,  and  of  a  deep  blue  color ;  the 
other  kind  is  still  smaller,  and  of  a  perfect  green 
color;  so  totally  unlike  any  other  small  birds, 
which  are  generally  of  a  brownish  hue ;  these  little 
bright  plumaged  birds  haveavery  prettyappearance.^ 

The  largest  of  the  feathered  tribe  here,  is  the 
bald-headed  eagle ;  this  is  a  very  sagacious  Bird^ 
very  powerful  and  rarely  to  be  approached ;  the 
bald-head  is  easily  to  be  distinguished  in  its*  lofty 
flight.  One  of  these  birds  was  shot  in  the  upper  coun- 
try some  time  ago,  which  measured  from  the  tip  of 
one  wing  to  that  of  the  other,  thirteen  feet,  and  fh>m 
the  point  of  the  beak  to  the  end  of  its  tail,  five  feet 
ten  inches ;  they  mostly  inhabit  the  tops  of  the^ 
mountains,  or  any  other  unfrequented  spots. 

Here  are  four  kinds  of  wild  ducks,  the  black, 

the  red  head,  the  wood  duck,  and  the  common^ 

brown  water  duck.     The  black  duck  is  a  very  fine 
bird;  in  size  between  the  tame  duck  and  goose  ; 

its  flesh  is  rich  and  good;  the  red  heads   are 


CANADA    AS   IT    IS. 


163 


be  of 

ippeat 
gene- 
st  and 
all;  it 
)retty ; 
r;  the 

green 

birds, 
se  little 
arancer 
,  is  the 
IS  birdr 
5d;  the 
its  lofty 
>r  coun- 
tie  tip  of 
indfironr 
five  feet 
s  of  the 
ts. 

le  black, 
common^ 
very  fine 
i  goose ; 
eads   are 


nearly  as  large  as  the  black  duck,  and  are 
also  a  very  excellent  eating  bird ;  the  wood 
duck  k  of  a  light  brown  color,  unlike  any 
other  of. its  species;  it  pitches  in  the  trees,  and 
builds  its  nests  there  also;  the  common  dark 
brown  wnter  duck  is  of  the  usual  size;  all  these 
species  are  to  be  met  with  more  or  less  through  the 
provinces,  but  in  the  upper  country,  in  the  fall  of 
the  year,  they  flock  together  in  myriads  on  the 
lakes. 

Of  tame  fowl  there  is  an  abundance  kept  in  both 
provinces,  with  ^e  exception  of  ducks,  and  these 
are  generally  very  scarce  throughout  the  country. 

Of  t^me  geese  there  is  an  abundance  all  over 
the  country,  and  they  are  profitable  from  the  quan- 
tity of  feathers  they  produce ;  it  is  the  custom  heret 
to  pluck  them  alive  once  or  twice  a-y,ear,  and  thus 
procure  vast  quantities  of  feathers;  they  are  here 
yoked  in  the  same  manner  as  pigs,  to  prevent  them 
getting  into  the  grain,  &c.,  which  presents  rather 
a  curious  appearance. 

The  upper  country  is  an  excellent  climate  for^ 
turkeys,  of  which  there  are  in  .many  places  vast: 
numbers  bred.  The  common  fowls  too^  thrive  ex- 
ceedingly well  here.  There  are,  in  addition  to  the^ 
kinds  described  above,  a  great  variety  of  watei:^ 
fowl,  widgeon,  teal,  &c>  &c. 

L4 


164 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


The  Canadian  Rabbit  or  Hare,  is  in  size  between 
the  two,  but  nearer  to  the  latter,  and  has  also  more 
of  its  habits,  than  of  the  former ;  it  does  not  bur- 
row in  the  earth ;  in  color  too,  it  resembles  the 
European  Hare,  or  at  least  in  summer ;  in  the  win- 
ter this  animal  turns  nearly  white ;  when  the  snow 
is  on  the  ground,  they  will  run  to  and  fro  on  the 
same  tracts  for  nights  together,  and  are  frequently 
taken  by  snaring. 

The  racoon  is  a  short  legged  animal,  with  a 
thick  body,  long  bushy  tail,  and  a  remarkably  sharp 
pointed  nose ;  it  has  a  fair  skin ;  when  fat,  they 
weigh  from  seven  to  ten  pounds,  their  flesh  is  ex- 
cellent eating. 

Muskrat ;  this  little  animal,  in  its  habits,  much  re- 
sembles the  beaver,  living  in  little  houses  curiously 
erected  by  the  water  side,  so  that  they  can  approach 
their  dwellings  and  emerge  from  them  without 
being  seen ;  it  is  in  size  scarcely  as  large  as  a  cat; 
of  a  darkish  brown  color ;  the  '  eep  entirely  in  the 
water,  except  mornings  ard  e  .  jingq ;  they  are  a 
disgusting  looking  animal ;  their  flesh  is  eatable ; 
but  their  fur  is  the  most  valuable  part  of  them,  and 
for  which  they  are  taken. 

The  martin  is  a  kind  of  wild  cat,  it  much  resem- 
bles that  domestic  animal,  but  is  not  so  large ;  it 
has  a  long  slender  body,  small  sharp  head,  and 


CANADA.   AS   IT   18. 


165 


veen 
more 
bur- 
3  the 
win- 
snow 
n  the 
lently 

;vith  a 
'  sharp 
t,  they 
is  ex- 

iich  re- 
riously 
iproach 
without 
sacat; 
y  in  the 
y  are  a 
satable ; 
m,  and 

1  resem- 
arge;  it 
;ad,  and 


bushy  tail ;  its  fur  is  very  fine,  which  is  the  object 
in  hunting  them ;  the  fur  of  the  martin,  as  well  as 
that  of  the  beaver,  is  an  object  of  very  considerable 
commerce. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  foxes  in  Canada,  the 
black  and  the  common  red  fox ;  the  black  fox  is 
very  rarely  seen ;  its  skin  is  very  valuable ;  the 
common  red  fox  is  very  frequent,  and  is  a  sly  thief 
amongst  the  poultry,  &c.,  their  skins  are  of  very 
little  value ;  and  such  is  the  nature  of  the  country 
yet,  that  they  cannot  be  hunted  with  dogs  with 
much  success,  though  at  Montreal  some  gentlemen 
have  established  a  fox-hunting  club ;  they  turn  out 
a  large  field  of  sportmen  well  mounted,  with  scarlet 
coats,  caps  quite  in  the  regular  jockey  style,  keep 
an  excellent  pack  of  hounds,  and  oAen  get  a  fine 
run. 

u  Squirrels,  these  little  animals  some  seasons  com- 
mit serious  damage  throughout  the  country ;  ther') 
are  two  kinds,  the  black  and  the  red ;  the  black 
are  never  in  any  numbers  ;  they  are  a  handsome 
little  animal ;  the  red  squirrel  is  smaller  than  the 
English  Squirrel,  and  not  so  handsome ;  these  are 
the  destructive  kind,  but  they  are  not  stationary ; 
probably  once  in  six  or  seven  years  they  come  in 
shoals,  and  destroy  great  quantities  of  ^rain ;  in 
1827,  they  were  here  in  myriads,  when  they  did  se- 

L  S 


i 


166 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


rious  damage;  many  instances  are  known  of  their 
h&viiig  cleared  nearly  whole  fields  of  corn ;  and  in 
one  {^articular  instance,  they  attacked  a  field  of 
corn,  and  did  not  leave  a  single  ear,  it  in  fact  al- 
most ruined  the  poor  settler;  when  they  are  in 
sh6ali9,  iti  this  manner,  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
k^p  them  out  of  the  com ;  they  travel  through  the 
couht!i7  ni' regular  droves,  and  swim  tha  large 
dVets  and  lakes  in  large  companies,  journeying 
eV^n  thoui^ands  of  miles. 

'^  The  Canadiiin  Porcupine  is  not  so  large  as  the 
African,  but  precisely  the  same  in  every  other  re- 
spect;  it  shoots  its  quills  with  considerable  force 
when  attacked ;  its  flesh  is  excellent ;  the  Indians 
appropriate  the  quills  to  many  purposes  of  fanciful 
decorations. 

The  hedgehog,  like  that  of  Europe,  has  the 
same  peculiar  habit  of  rolling  itself  up^like  a  balU 
its  prickled  pointing  outwards,  forming  a  barrier 
Ugah^st  ill  attacks. 

>'  Grottfid  hog :  this  little  animal  burrows  in  the 
girbutid  like  the  rabbit,  andhas  a  head  much  Hke  it, 
btit  widi  no  other  riesemblance  to  tbat^anirad ;  it 
.  has  a  very  thidk  body,  remarkably  short  legd,  so 
that  it  caii  run  but  slowly,  and  when  seen  above 
ground  is  easily  taken  ;  its  flesh  is  good. 

Skunk :  this  is  an  animal  of  much  the  same  habits 


ch( 
till 
lad 

is 
foi 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


167 


as  the  polecat,  but  much  larger ;  it  is  destructive 
to  poultry ;  its  chief  means  of  defence  appears  to 
be  carried  in  a  small  bag  contained  under  its  belly, 
and  when  attacked,  it  forces  its  contents  at  its  as- 
sailant, the  stink  of  which  is  so  disgustingly  offen- 
sive as  to  be  almost  insufferable. 

Chip  Monk  :  this  little  creature  might  be  termed 
the  rat  of  the  country,  it  is  a  little  thief  of  the  most 
daring  habits ;  it  has  not  in  color  or  make  the 
least  resemblance  to  the  common  rat,  but  its  pro- 
pensities are  much  the  same;  it  is  about  as  long 
as  a  guinea  pig  ;  and  has  a  head  much  like  that 
animal,  but  its'  body  is  not  half  so  thick  ;  the  chip 
mpnk  is  continually  to  be  seen  about  buildings  and 
clearances ;  it  is  a  provident  little  animal,  taking 
care  to  lay  in  a  good  winter's  store  ;  its  winter  ha- 
bitation is  generally  in  the  bo^y  of  a  hollow  tree  ; 
on  the  approach  of  winter  it  very  busily  employs 
itself  in  securing  grain  or  any  other  provisions 
within  its  reach,  and  this  it  does  in  a  very  singular 
mannor,  which  is  by  cramming  both  sides  of  its 
cheeks  with  grain,  or  any  thing  else  it  can  purloin, 
till  they  are  ready  to  burst,  and  when  met  thus 
laden,  they  have  a  curious  appearance. 

Rats  are  not  yet  general  in  the  province,  but  it 
is  much  to  be  feared  that  they  will  soon  become  so, 
for  they  are  already  at  many  places  where  the  na* 


■ 


■     I 

I 


168 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


ligation  touches  at,  conveyed  by  the  steam-boats- 
to  different  places.  Both  house  and  field  mice 
are  in  abundance  through  the  country. 

The  panther  or  American  tiger,  as  it  is  sometimes 
called,  is  an  inhabitant  of  Canada  as  well  as  of 
other  parts  [of  the  American  continent ;  they  are 
very  rarely  to  be  seen ;  they  are  neither  so  large, 
nor  to  be  compared  in  beauty  with  the  Bengal 
Tiger.  Like  other  ravenous  beasts  of  the  forest, 
they  prey  upon  the  smaller  animals,  and  when  seen 
here,  it  is  generally  in'chace  of  the  racoon,  of  the 
flesh  of  which  they  seem  particularly  fond. 

In  treating  of  the  reptiles  of  this  country,  there 
are  not,  as  has  been  observed  in  a  former  part  of 
this  work,  any  venomous  snakes  in  any  part  of  the 
Canadas,  lower  than  the  head  of  Lake  Ontario ; 
there,  in  all  the  country  above  it,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  lake,  about  Niagara  and  the  country  extend- 
ing to  Lake  Erie,  as  well  as  in  almost  every  other 
part  of  ^the  American  continent,  the  rattlesnake  is 
an  inhabitant;  the  bite  of  this  snake,  though  ia 
some  instances  fatal,  is  not  universally  so ;  if  pro- 
per  remedies  be  applied  at  the  instant  of  the  acci- 
dent, it  is  oflen  cured ;  but  this,  though  very  veno- 
mous, is  not  the  most  dangerous  snake  on  the 
American  continent ;  there  are  two  other  kinds, 
each  of  which  is  more  to  be  feared  than  the  rattle- 


CANADA    AS    IT   IS. 


169 


)ats- 
nice 

mes 
of 
are 
irge, 
sngal 
»rest, 
seen 
f  the 

there 
art  of 
3f  the 
tario ; 
)r  side 
xtend- 
r  other 
ake  is 
ugh  ia 
if  pro- 
le  acci- 
f  veno- 
on  the 
kinds, 
3  rattle- 


snake ;  these  are  the  black  snake,  called  the  black 
chasir  of  Ohio,  and  the  copper-headed  snake,  a 
very  powerful  creature,  also  an  inhabitant  of  the 
States ;  the  rattlesnake  does  not  molest,  even  when 
approached,  unless  irritated,  yet  they  do  not  fly 
from  man  as  some  other  of  the  species,  but  lie  and 
watch  you  as  a  cat ;  the  copper-head,  if  approach- 
ed, will  immediately  attack,  and  this  they  do  in  the 
most  impetuous  manner,  they  erect  their  heads, 
which  they  swell  out  to  the  size  of  a  middling  pig's 
head,  and  make  a  tremendous  hissing  noise,  and 
wo  be  to  those  whom  they  may  wound  when  in 
this  state  ;  the  black  chasir  will  follow  and  attack, 
and  are  the  most  dangerous  reptile  known.  The 
rattlesnake  and  the  copper-head  are  not  at  enmity 
with  each  other ;  on  the  contrary,  they  frequently 
cohabit  together,  an  instance  of  which  is  the  fol- 
lowing :  some  two  or  three  years  ago,  the  inhabi- 
tants in  the  neighborhood  of  a  place  called  Hills- 
borough, in  Ohio,  one  of  the  western  sta  s  of 
America,  were  so  much  annoyed  with  venemoua 
snakes  in  their  vicinity,  that  they  were  absolutely 
afraid  to  venture  out  of  their  houses.  One  of  the 
inhabitants  happened  to  discover  a  den  of  these 
snakes,  that  is,  large  holes  in  the  rocks,  where  they 
were  seen  to  creep  in  and  out ;  the  neiglibors  all 
agreed  to  make  a  *' snake  destroying  hecy^  for  thi» 


170 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


|5*- 


purpose  they  prepared  themselves  with  long  hooks, 
and  took  care  duly  to  protect  their  persons  ;  and 
in  two  days  they  hooked  out  of  the  crevices  of  the 
rock,  upwards  of  two  hundred  snakes,  mostly  of  the 
largest  size,  two  thirds  of  which  were  rattlesnakes 
and  the  rest  copper-heads,  some  of  them  measuring 
upwards  of  seven  feet  in  length ;  the  rattlesnake 
and  the  black  chasir  are  mortal  enemies,  and  when 
coming  in  close  contact,  one  of  them  dies,  gene- 
rally the  former ;    a  battle  was  witnessed  between 
these  two  dangerous  reptiles  in  a  secluded  part  of 
the  country,  in  the  |western  states,  the  attack  was 
commenced  by  the  black  snake,  and  met  by  the  rat- 
tlesnake with  much  ferocity,  till  disabled  by  the  re- 
peated bites  of  his  antagonist ;  and,  when  lying 
prostrate,  the  black  snake  repeatedly  bit  his  van- 
quished enemy  until  satisfied  he  was  quite  dead.  The 
flesh  of  the  rattlesnake  is  said  to  be  good.  In  the  dig- 
ging of  theWelland  Canal,  between  Lakes  Erie  and 
Ontario,  a  few  years  ago,  the  workmen  had  occa- 
sion to  blast  a  rock,  in  doing  which,  they  met  with 
a  nest  of  rattlesnakes,  there  were  sixty-fo«tr  in  num* 
ber ;  in  their  rage,  in  being,  thus  disturbed,  some  of 
them  coiled   themselves   up,  and  bit  their  own 
bodies,  and  soon  afler  swelled  much,  and  died  ap- 
parently in  the  greatest  agony ;  but  those  that  did 
not  inflict  the  deadly  wound  on  themselves,  (after 


^ 


CANADA   AS  IT  IS» 


171 


eutting  off  their  heads,  which  contains  the  poisonr) 
were  cooked  and  eaten,  and  were  said  to  be  excel- 
lent. It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  the  rattlesnake  han 
an  instinctive  dread  of  the  pig,  which  is  exceeding* 
ly  fond  of  the  flesh  of  this  snake ;  whenever  people 
are  annoyed  by  these  reptiles  near  their  dwellings, 
they  have  only  to  keep  a  number  of  pigs,  and  they 
aro  sure  to  get  rid  of  them ;  the  rattlesnake  wUl 
bite  the  horse  and  the  cow,  and  many  instances  of 
fatality  have  been  known  to  result  from  these 
causes,  but  of  the  pig  they  seem  to  have  the 
greieitest  fear,  for  the  instant  the  pig  approaches, 
they  lay  perfectly  quiet ;  he  puts  his  fore  paw  on 
their  head  and  soon  devours  them ;  many  other 
snakes  have  a  great  dread  of  the  swinish  family* 
The  rattlesnake  herb  is  said  to  be  an  effectual  an- 
tidote  against  the  effects  of  their  poison,  if  applied 
immediately  after  the  wound  is  given,  and  that  the. 
rattlesnake  shows  the  greatest  abhorrence  when 
approaching  this  herb.  The  rattlesnake  is  of  a 
dark  brown  color,  the  head  is  broad  and  flat,  tha 
eyes  large  and  very  prominent,  and  when  in  vigor 
are  particularly  bright ;  they  have  a  hooked  tooth 
or  fang  at  each  side  of  the  mouth,  this  tooth  i» 
hollow,  and  acts  as  a  tube  for  the  conveyance  of 
the  deadly  liquid,  which  is  contained  in  a  small  bag 
at  tbo  root  of  this  fang,  in  its  under  jaw.    The  re- 


1 


172 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


ceivod  notion,  respecting  this  animal,  is,  that  they 
acquire  an  additional  rattle  every  year  ;  these  rat- 
tles are  like  so  many  ivory  rings,  and  when  shaken 
they  make  a  clattering  kind  of  noise ;  the  rattle- 
snake is  incapable  of  making  a  spring  of  any 
distance ;  it  is  said  that  when  these  snakes  are  ly- 
ing on  the  ground,  that  the  dazzling  brightness  of 
their  eyes  proves  an  irresistable  charm,  and  causcjs 
birds  to  drop  instinctively  when  flying. 

Spotted  snake  :  the  spotted  snake  is  common  in 
all  parts  of  Canada ;  it  is  about  three  feet  long, 
with  a  dingy  white  skin  covered  with  large  black 
spots ;  this  little  reptile,  though  free  from  vene- 
mous  qualities,  is  nevertheless  given  to  thievish 
propensities,  and  will  devour  young  chickens,  &c. 

The  common  garter  snake  is  also  to  b^  seen  in 
all  parts  of  the  provinces,  some  of  them  are  rather 
large ;  they  are  marked  with  black,  yellow  and 
white  stripes;  they  frequent  the  parts  near  the 
dwellings,  into  which  they  sometimes  approach; 
though  quite  harmless,  ^^they  will,  when  irritated* 
completely  change  their  color,  and  from  being 
striped  become  perfectly  spotted,  and  swell  out 
nearly  twice  their  usual  size. 

Green  snake :  this  is  in  color  a  perfect  pea-green ; 
very  small,  with  a  remarkably  small  head ;  it  is  not 


CANADA    AS    IT    IS. 


173 


more  than  sixteen  inches  long ;  it  is  a  handsome 
little  harmless  creature; 

Yellow  snake :  this  is  still  a  smaller  snake  than 
the  last,  and  equally  harmless; 

Black  water  snake,  which  is  common  in  all  the 
lakes  and  rivers  in  Upper  Canada ;  some  of  them 
are  very  large  and  are  said  to  be  venomous,  but 
which  is  very  doubtful;  the  following  is  an  instantse 
which  may  be  considered  pretty  conclusive  that 
they  are  not.  A  boy  went  to  a  river  for  water,  he 
soon  came  running  back  with  something  tightly 
grasped  in  his  hands,  saying  he  had  caught  a  fine 
eel,  it  was  a  water  snake,  and  although  the  boy 
squeezed  it  tightly  to  hold  it,  and  kept  it  in  his 
hands^  or  some  time,  the  animal  never  attempted 
io  bite  him,  which  seems  a  good  proof  that  they 
are  not  venomous* 

Of  turtle,  there  are  three  or  four  different  kinds  t 
the  most  common  is  the  small  land  turtle,  inhabit- 
ing the  borders  of  the  rivers  and  ponds  ;  they  are 
handsome  little  creatures;  in  sunshine  and  hot 
days  they  are  seen  sitting  in  rows  by  the  waterside, 
into  which  they  immediately  plunge  when  approach- 
45d  ;  it  is^  said  they  are  exceeding  good  eating. 


■^ 


4 


FINIS. 


